Microsoft and Qualcomm are due to release a new tablet computer, shortly before the unveiling of of the hotly-anticipated Snapdragon 845 chip. The new tablet, possibly part of the Surface or Lumia range, will feature Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Windows 10 on ARM, WiFi, Bluetooth, LTE, USB-C, and great battery life.
Surface or Lumia?
The new tablet will feature the integrated bevy of Snapdragon 845 goodies, including wifi, bluetooth, LTE, and great battery life. A USB-C port will serve duty as a charging port and accessory port. Also expected to make an appearance is a 3.5mm headphone jack, two microphones, two or four speakers, a front and rear camera, power button, volume up and down, and the possibility of a multi-purpose physical button.
If the device ships with Surface branding, then it is likely to sport a Surface Connect dock port, and a Surface kickstand.
If the device ships with Lumia or other non-Surface branding, then the it may lack a Surface Connect port, and instead have a USB-C Thunderbolt port.
Remembering that this is not a smartphone, it's a tablet, and all of Microsoft's recent tablet efforts skew toward portability and productivity, rather than raw performance. Tablets can be docked, becoming a desktop computer, and also be undocked, mobile, and taken with you.
We would love to see a small dock (the size of the Continuum dock) to compliment this device, plugging in via USB-C and providing HDMI or DisplayPort out, USB-A, USB-C, power, and perhaps a handy SD card slot.
Release date
To be released in the week before the grand unveil of the Snapdragon 845, we anticipate a February release.
Until next time,
Xavier ZymantasXYZtech XYZ Media Group