Affordable Microsoft Surface Tablet Spotted At The FCC

Microsoft is rumored to be preparing a budget-friendly Surface tablet that will only cost around $400. Now it seems like the new Microsoft Surface tablet has been approved by the FCC this week, which could be signaling its imminent release.

The FCC filing was first spotted by German website WinFuture and the new Surface tablet is referred to as Model 1824. The FCC filing doesn’t really reveal much, but it does confirm some significant information. First off, the battery of the device labeled “G16QA043H” is said to be the same type of battery from the Chinese supplier SMP. This is the same supplier that provides the battery for Microsoft’s Surface Pro. The battery for the affordable Surface tablet is listed as having 7.66 volts.

The FCC filing also reveals that the affordable Microsoft Surface tablet features a smaller power supply. The power supply comes with the model number 1735 and is the same 24-watt power supply that’s smaller than the 36-watt power supply of the the Surface Pro models. Since the device comes with a smaller power supply, this suggests that it will be smaller than previous Surface devices from Microsoft.

Back in May, Bloomberg said that the budget Surface tablet would have a 10-inch screen, which is around the same size as a standard Apple iPad. If this is accurate, the device will also be smaller than Microsoft’s standard 12-inch Surface Pro line. The budget Surface tablet is also said to arrive with rounded edges like an iPad, which is once again different from Microsoft’s typical design for its tablets. The affordable Microsoft Surface is said to feature a USB Type-C connector, which would be a first for the company’s Surface line.

Going back to the FCC filing, it appears as though the device is powered by an Intel processor. The tablet is listed as having a standalone Qualcomm Wi-Fi and Bluetooth module, which is a sign that it’s not using a Qualcomm processor. If it were running on a Qualcomm processor, these parts would have already been part of the system-on-chip, as pointed out by MSPowerUser.

The affordable Microsoft Surface tablet is said to cost around $400 without a keyboard cover or the stylus. Microsoft is also rumored to be making cheaper accessories for the device, so that the company will be able to sell bundles at a more affordable price. The Verge believes that Microsoft might be aiming for a September release, which is just in time for the beginning of the school year. The company could also release the device during the holiday season.