Microsoft Surface tablet to launch with Wi-Fi only, say reports

Microsoft's Surface tablets will initially reject mobile broadband connectivity for a Wi-Fi-only approach, according to reports.

Sources quoted by Bloomberg on Friday said the first models of Microsoft iPad rival would come without the option of 3G or '4G' LTE, both of which are options in Apple's tablet.

Analysts quoted by Bloomberg suggested that the move would keep costs down for Microsoft, which is making an unusual play in the hardware game, but also that people may not find it much of a limitation, given that they tend to use such devices near a Wi-Fi connection.

Integrated mobile broadband not only adds cost to the manufacturer's bill of materials, but it also usually involves the customer needing a second cellular contract, on top of the one they already have for their phone. In many cases, it is possible to use a smartphone as a Wi-Fi hotspot anyway.

The pricing for Surface tablets is another matter for conjecture at this point. The Next Web quoted their own sources on Friday, suggesting the ARM-based Windows RT version would start at $599 (£384) and the Intel-based Pro model at $999.

Apart from being speculative, it is difficult as always to translate these figures into pounds, as tech products usually wind up more expensive in the UK.