WiFi Only Microsoft Surface Tablet Arrives First

There was quite a bit of excitement this week when Microsoft finally confirmed that they would be coming out with a Surface Tablet. During the presentation of this device, a considerable amount of information about the device was presented including the fact that there would be ones with Windows RT and Windows 8. However, one of the items that Microsoft did neglect to really elaborate on was what the kind of network connectivity that this device would have?

Wireless 802.11 network support was expected, but what about cellular connectivity? On this topic, Microsoft offered no clues as to if the device would have either 3G or 4G. Though there still is no clarity on this subject, Bloomberg has published a story suggesting that their sources are stating that the first tablets to come off the assembly line will be WiFi only models. Microsoft of course has not commented on this story.

If Bloomberg is correct and the first Surface Tablet supports WiFi only, it wouldn’t be ground shattering in that we have seen other hardware manufacturers travel down the same road, but in the case of Microsoft and their tablet, it’s believed that there was some degree of expectation that connectivity would include something beyond just WiFi. In any case, Microsoft will still most likely sell a good number of WiFi only models and perhaps down the road, we will see other Microsoft tablets that include cellular connectivity and most likely, these will command premium pricing.

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