Microsoft's latest iteration on the Surface, the lower-cost Surface 3, has been available for purchase as a Wi-Fi-only model since May. Starting this Friday, you'll be able to get one with built-in LTE support from AT&T. The Surface 3 with LTE has 64GB of internal storage, 2GB of RAM, an Intel Atom processor, and 10.8-inch 1920 x 1280 pixel display. AT&T will sell it for $599.99, or $499.99 with a two-year service agreement. A special promotion is also offering the Surface 3 for $399.99 when purchased with any Lumia smartphone on AT&T's Next program. Microsoft's Type Cover and Surface Pen accessories are available separately.
The Surface 3 is very similar to the larger Surface Pro 3, though it is smaller and less powerful. It has a similar, though less flexible, built-in kickstand, and supports the snap-in Type Cover for easier typing. It comes with a one-year subscription to Office 365, which includes full access to Office apps at 1TB of OneDrive storage. The Surface 3 runs the full version of Windows 8.1 and will be upgradable to Windows 10 when that is available starting on July 29th.
Microsoft's pitch for the Surface line has always been "a tablet that can replace your laptop", though in reality, it's more like a laptop with a touchscreen than a traditional tablet. Built-in LTE support greatly increases the Surface 3's ability to go anywhere, as it doesn't need to connect to a Wi-Fi hotspot for any sort of internet activity. Whether or not that's worth the extra investment on top of the virtually required accessories to those interested in the Surface 3 remains to be seen, but they will be able to make that decision starting this Friday.
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