Microsoft's $400 Apple iPad challenger visits the FCC and is closer to getting unveiled

Back in May, we told you that Microsoft was planning a line of lower priced Surface tablets to compete with the Apple iPad. These slates would be priced in the area of $400 compared to the $329 that Apple asks for its sixth-generation iPad. Today, the first of the new Surface tablets has been spotted at the FCC. As usual, the agency is pretty tight lipped when it comes to revealing specs, but the documentation does list a model number of 1824.

Previous reports suggested that the new Surface tablet would sport a 10-inch screen with a rounded corner, and be equipped with an Intel processor. The battery reportedly will allow for 9.5 hours of usage between charges. And while earlier rumors said that the $400 Surface tablet would feature a Type-C USB port, the FCC says that the slate will use the proprietary 24W Surface Connect adapter used on the Surface Pro 4. The fifth-gen Surface Pro happens to employ a more powerful 36W Surface Connect charger, which would seem to second the notion that the tablet that visited the FCC is Microsoft's iPad challenger. Speaking of Surface Pro, the cheaper Surface tablet will run the same Windows 10 Pro OS used by Microsoft's higher priced slabs.

While we know that the price of this tablet will be around $400, we don't when the device will be available. However, Microsoft can now cross the required FCC visit off the list, thus bringing Microsoft's iPad challenger closer to getting officially announced.

source: FCC via WinFuture (translated)