Microsoft Makes the Surface 2 with LTE Official, Launching March 18th for $679

One glaring omission from the Microsoft Surface line has always been the lack of a model with mobile connectivity capabilities. While Apple’s iPad and many other competitors officer versions with 3G or LTE networking for a small premium, Microsoft has been content with sitting out of that market and providing only simple Wi-Fi support on their tablets – until now. The technology giant has apparently had a change of heart, as the company has just announced that they will be launching a new, LTE-capable version of their Surface 2 tablet tomorrow, priced at $679.

To clarify, this is the Surface 2 – the line previously known as the Surface RT – not the bigger, more powerful Surface Pro lineup. That means that the Surface 2 with LTE comes with the usual caveats – instead of running Windows 8.1, the tablet runs a modified version compiled for ARM processors known as Windows RT. While it looks the same, Windows RT is incapable of running traditional Windows programs, that means you’re stuck with using whatever the Windows Store has to offer, so that may be something to keep in mind before you pull the trigger.

The new Surface 2 with LTE has 64GB of internal storage built in and support’s AT&T’s LTE network – sorry Verizon friends – and supports LTE bands (4, 7, 17),  3G UTMS bands (1, 2 and 5), and GSM (800/900/1800/1900MHz). It’s being sold contract free, so that means you’ll be responsible for configuring this thing up with your mobile provider on your own – but if you think you qualify, you’ll be able to head on over to a retail Microsoft Store, MicrosoftStore.com, or Best Buy starting tomorrow and get your hands on one.