FCC filings give more credibility to new $ 400 surface reports

Earlier this year, there were reports that Microsoft plans to make a new attempt to produce a low-cost Surface tablet. Some new FCC repositories identified by WinFuture suggest that this tablet does exist and that Microsoft has requested the necessary regulatory approval to put it on the market.

The FCC documentation does not include any images or full specifications of the device. kept confidential for the moment, but it reveals some details that give some hints about the new device.

The system uses a driver for a discrete Qualcomm Atheros Wi-Fi / Bluetooth module. The use of a separate chip makes quite certain that the new machine has an Intel processor – if it had a Qualcomm ARM chip, then Wi-Fi and Bluetooth would be integrated into the system-on-chip and use a different driver.

The power supply is also listed as being a 24W unit. Microsoft has used 24W power supplies in the past, but today's Surface Pro uses 36W parts. This matches both the low expected price – $ 400 – and the smaller 10-inch screen.

The device should be shipped this year, positioned as a solution for the education markets. The original reports claimed that it would have a newer, more rounded style, and in a break from the rest of the surface line, it will use USB Type-C to load rather than the proprietary Surface Connect port.