A new FCC filing hints at a possible Surface device with 4G LTE and 5G connectivity coming soon.
While Microsoft has yet to confirm that it’ll be hosting an actual hardware event this Fall, things look to be lining up heavily under the “likely to happen” column with the FCC recently clearing listing C3K1997.
Buried in a couple of hundred pages of specs and test reports are references to a Microsoft device that can be operated in “tablet mode” along with potentially simultaneous transmission of 4G LTE and 5G signals hinting at technology that differs from the standard Intel modems in previous Surface devices.
Microsoft is expected to announce an upgrade to the Surface Pro line with the Surface Pro 9 getting the latest Intel processor as well as an update to the Surface Pro X with a new Snapdragon chipset, but many are starting to believe that the company could merge the Pro and X line on account of their similar design languages.
If Microsoft were to merge the Pro and X line, the end result could be this new C3K1997 device that houses a couple of different modems and chipsets in one uniformed body.
Obviously, this is a lot conjecture and speculation, but Microsoft consolidating its Surface Pro line as it has a seemingly renewed interest in Windows on Arm makes sense from a manufacturing perspective. However, combining the two devices will force Microsoft to do the heavy liftin of offering clear distinctions between the experiences of a regular Windows 11 device and one that utilizes Windows on Arm.
