Microsoft to use Qualcomm chips on refreshed Surface RT: Report

Sources familiar with the development have told Bloomberg that Microsoft’s refreshed Surface RT will use Qualcomm chips. Some new versions of the tablet will be based on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processors for faster wireless data connection speeds, the sources said.

Microsoft’s existing Surface RT tablets feature Nvidia’s Tegra chip, and the latter company will continue to supply to “some versions”, the report mentioned one source as saying. Incidentally, another variant of the Surface, Microsoft’s Surface Pro, features an Intel Core i5 processor.

Refreshed version to come with Qualcomm chip?

Some sources even told The Verge that the Redmond-based company is testing Windows RT 8.1 Surface tablets using Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 800 processor. “The chip includes integrated LTE connectivity, allowing Microsoft to potentially ship its first Surface device with mobile broadband,” it notes.

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After its launch last October, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer had admitted sales of the device were modest. As we had reported the reason for the modest sales was primarily the lack of distribution as opposed to lack of demand. Ballmer noted that the Surface is only sold through Microsoft Stores, where the device is often in short supply.

The existing Surface tablet has a light, durable casing, integrated kickstand, touch cover, a USB port, a 16:9 widescreen and a high-definition display with a 22-degree angle. Microsoft claims that Surface lets customers seamlessly make the transition between entertainment and content creation.