We’re still holding out hope that Microsoft’s Surface Phone, codenamed Andromeda, will see the light of day, but we might not have to wait much longer for new hardware from the Redmond company. Over the weekend, a Reddit user shared a photo of a leaked document which appears to suggest that Microsoft is preparing to display a new Surface device at Microsoft Stores on July 13th, which just so happens to be this coming Friday.
The sliver of a document provided by Reddit user UniversalACAdapter doesn’t provide any details about the device itself, other than the fact that it will feature a Type Cover (which are portable keyboards for the Surface line). Still, all of the previous leaks and reports seem to point to this being the rumored $400 Surface tablet.
Just last week, more clues appeared in the form of FCC filings, followed shortly after by a report from WinFuture.de which claimed that the two cheaper models would feature Intel Pentium Silver N5000 and Intel Pentium Gold 4410Y (or 4415Y) chips, respectively, rather than the Intel Core i5 and i7 chips that ship with the Surface Pro. If Microsoft is going to compete with the cheapest iPad models, it’s going to have to cut costs somewhere.
Another self-proclaimed insider on Reddit shared the following supposed specs for the new Surface:
- 10″, 1800×1200 screen.
- 562g body with USB-C and microSD.
- Available in 4GB RAM / 64GB storage, 8/128, 8/128 LTE and 8/256 LTE SKUs, but I don’t think all of them will come out in one go.
- Up to Pentium Gold processor. Launches with its own Type Cover and mouse.
- Starts at $399 for education customers. Tops out at $829 (excluding accessories).
That pretty much jives with Bloomberg’s report from May, which also stated that the affordable Surface would feature a 10-inch display, USB-C connectivity, and weigh less than other Surface tablets. If Microsoft really is going to launch new Surface models by the end of the week, we should know any day now.
