Microsoft plans updated Surface RT tablet with Qualcomm chip and 4G speeds

Next version of Microsoft's ARM-based device rumoured to feature 4G support via a Qualcomm processor

Microsoft is planning an updated version of its Surface RT tablet for later this year that will add mobile broadband, a key capability missing from the existing model.

Rumours have been circulating for some time that the IT giant is planning to deliver a second generation of its Surface devices in the near future, but several sources are now reporting that Microsoft is internally testing a Surface RT based on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor in place of the Nvidia Tegra chip of the original.

The significance of this particular ARM-based chip is that it has integrated 4G LTE connectivity, which would imply that an updated Surface RT will have mobile broadband support, if reports are correct. The model Microsoft launched last year only supports WiFi and Bluetooth wireless.

The Surface RT was released last year to coincide with the launch of Windows 8. It runs Windows RT, the version of Windows 8 designed for ARM architecture processors, and hence boasts a slimline design and long battery life comparable to many consumer tablets.

Any updated Surface RT model is likely to ship with an RT version of the Windows 8.1 refresh, which Microsoft is due to release a preview of at its Build developer conference at the end of this month.

In addition to a slew of new features that Microsoft disclosed last month and at its TechEd event in New Orleans, the RT version of Windows 8.1 is set to add a full version of Outlook. This will complement the existing Office 2013 versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote that already ship with the Surface RT.

An updated version of the Surface Pro is also said to be in the pipeline, but this is likely to ship after the Surface RT, as happened last year. Microsoft has yet to disclose a delivery date for Windows 8.1, but it is expected to be available later this year.

For a look back at what Microsoft has already released, V3 has a review of the Surface RT and a review of the Surface Pro online.