Microsoft Surface 3 LTE Now Available On AT&T, T-Mobile Joins Festivities July 31st

by Brandon Hill — Friday, July 24, 2015, 12:20 PM EDT

Earlier this week, we learned that Microsoft’s Surface 3 LTE would be heading to AT&T’s network. And right on schedule, AT&T has opened up sales of the tablet which is available in a 64GB configuration (which we already knew about) and a 128GB configuration (which was news to us).

Those that purchase a Surface 3 LTE at full price from a Microsoft Store or authorized retail partners will receive an unlocked device that can be used either on AT&T or T-Mobile’s wireless network in the United States (unlocked versions will be made available in late August). Speaking of T-Mobile, the Surface 3 LTE will also be available to T-Mobile business customers through the company’s @Work channel.

Adding LTE to a Surface 3 doesn’t come cheap. The 64GB Surface 3 LTE runs $599 off-contract, while the 128GB version will cost you $699. Signing up for a two-year contract on AT&T will only knock $100 off those prices (and will result in you receiving a device that is carrier-locked), so we see little reason to opt for that route.

“Surface 3 brings the best of Surface Pro 3 in a compact and affordable package, and the 4G LTE version will be a great fit for a lot of people who need to stay connected beyond the reach of Wi-Fi,” said Brian Hall, General Manager for Microsoft’s Surface business. “I’m excited to see the availability of the Surface 3 (4G LTE) growing and will provide future updates as we have them.”

For those that need a refresher, the Surface 3 features a 1.6GHz Intel Atom x7 Z8700 with either 2GB or 3GB of RAM, a superb 10.8-inch 1920x1280 display, microSD slot, full-size USB 3.0 port, 3MP front- and 8MP rear-facing cameras, Bluetooth 4.0, and 802.11ac Wi-Fi. The 1.37-pound tablet Surface 3 LTE ships with Windows 8.1, but qualifies for a free upgrade to Windows 10 (which launches on July 29th).

Tags: Microsoft, T-Mobile, (NYSE:T), (NYSE:TMUS), (nasdaq:msft), at&t, surface 3, surface 3 lte

Brandon Hill

Brandon received his first PC, an IBM Aptiva 310, in 1994 and hasn’t looked back since. He cut his teeth on computer building/repair working at a mom and pop computer shop as a plucky teen in the mid 90s and went on to join AnandTech as the Senior News Editor in 1999. Brandon would later help to form DailyTech where he served as Editor-in-Chief from 2008 until 2014. Brandon is a tech geek at heart, and family members always know where to turn when they need free tech support. When he isn’t writing about the tech hardware or studying up on the latest in mobile gadgets, you’ll find him browsing forums that cater to his long-running passion: automobiles.

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