Microsoft has announced that pre-orders for the 4G-enabled version of its Surface 2 tablet are now open.
The Surface 2 4G, which has been available in some markets for a number of months, is now available to order from the Microsoft store for £539, and if you order now, one should be with you by May 8.
Microsoft says customers can also pickup the Surface 2 (4G) from a selection of high-street retailers, including Dixons, Currys, and PC World. Customers that do purchase a Surface 2 from one of these stores will also receive a year of unlimited Skype WiFi calling and landline calls and 200GB of free OneDrive storage for two years.
The Surface 2 4G comes with 64GB of storage, (with the option of expanding this by a further 64GB via a microSDXC card reader) and is powered by an nVidia Tegra 4 processor. It features a 10.6-inch ClearType Full HD display, and comes with Windows 8.1 installed, including Microsoft Office Home & Student RT.
4G connectivity comes via a micro-SIM card slot, which can take any pre-paid 4G micro-SIM. Microsoft says the device can provide ten hours of battery life, and weighs just 670g, 10g more than its predecessor.
The initial Surface 2 device was launched by Microsoft last October, winning plaudits for its thinner and lighter design. However at the start of this year, Microsoft began shipping the device with a new and more powerful CPU, much to the dismay of existing customers. Later, the company also announced a firmware update to try and rectify software issues customers were experiencing.
In January, Microsoft announced that quarterly sales of the tablet and its older brother had more than doubled, bringing in nearly $893m in revenues.
