Sony Xperia Tablet Z hits the FCC with LTE on its way to T-Mobile
We’ve seen Sony’s Xperia Tablet Z at the FCC before – a WiFi version of the device won approval back in March. Today the Xperia Tablet Z made another appearance on the FCC, this time with LTE. According to FCC filings, the Xperia Tablet Z will support LTE band 4. Both T-Mobile and AT&T use LTE band 4 in the United States. However, AT&T also uses LTE band 17, which suggests that this version of the Xperia Tablet Z is headed to T-Mobile USA.
T-Mobile hasn’t yet announced plans for the Tablet Z. The WiFi-only version of the Tablet Z is schedule for release in May.
Microsoft Surface Pro rumored to launch on January 29th
In November 2012, Microsoft announced that its Windows 8 Surface Pro tablet will be released in January 2013. The device passed through the FCC one month later, a good sign that it is indeed on schedule for a launch in January.
With less than a month remaining in Microsoft’s Surface Pro launch window, release date rumors are expected, and it now appears that we have our first. Late this evening, Softpedia reported that, according to a source “close to the Redmond campus,” Microsoft may unveil the tablet on January 29th, with a release scheduled for one day later.
But according to CNet, the Surface Pro may actually be released a bit sooner. CNet called several Microsoft Stores, and one store said that it expects the tablet to be released on January 26th. Microsoft Store employees don’t have a stellar reputation for delivering accurate information, so you may want to take the January 26 release date with a grain of salt.
When released, the Surface Pro will cost $899 for the 64GB version and $999 for the 128GB version. Touch and Type covers for the device will be sold separately.
Microsoft’s Surface Pro Windows 8 tablet arrives on the FCC
Last month Microsoft announced that it will release its Windows 8-powered Surface Pro tablet in January 2013. Today, the tablet won approval from the FCC, a good sign that the Surface Pro will indeed be released soon.
FCC filings don’t use the “Surface Pro” name – instead, the device’s model number, 1514, is used. However, test reports do confirm that the 1514 is a tablet computer running Windows 8 – a sure sign that this is Microsoft’s Surface Pro. The device won FCC approval for dual-band WiFi and Bluetooth.
Unfortunately, FCC filings don’t give any indication of when the Surface Pro will be released.
Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 LTE arrives on the FCC
Samsung’s Galaxy Note 10.1, also known as the SHV-E230S, made an appearance on the FCC today, sporting an LTE logo and 16GB of storage. The device won approval for the use of WCDMA bands II and V, GSM band 850 and 1900, dual-band WiFi and Bluetooth. Interestingly, although the device bears an LTE logo, above, FCC filings for the SHV-E230S did not include approval for the use of LTE bands. Not to worry, these filings are likely to come later.
Check out Samsung’s FCC filings for the Galaxy Note 10.1 here.
ASUS to unveil 10 and 7-inch additions to its MeMO Pad lineup of tablets, according to FCC filings
It looks like ASUS will soon unveil a new lineup of tablets called MeMO Pad. Today, two MeMO Pads won FCC approval, a sign that these devices will soon make their way to the US.
The larger MeMO Pad has the model number K001 and sports a screen that measures approximately 10-inches diagonally, above. FCC reports also show that the device will sport dual-band WiFi, Bluetooth and a camera.
The second MeMO Pad has the model number K0W and sports what appears to be a 7-inch screen, below. Unlike the K001, the K0W does not appear to have a camera.
ASUS unveiled its MeMO Pad in early 2012. However, the K001 and K0W appear to be new additions to the MeMO Pad lineup.
Lenovo’s delayed ThinkPad Tablet 2 arrives on the FCC sporting AT&T 3G, but missing NFC
Lenovo’s Windows 8-powered ThinkPad Tablet 2 was originally scheduled to launch on October 26th, 2012. However, delays first pushed the device’s release date to November, then later to December. It now appears that a launch for the ThinkPad Tablet 2 is coming soon – today, FCC filings for the device were approved, a good sign that the tablet will soon be released to the public.
FCC documents for the ThinkPad Tablet 2 were filed by Lenovo’s OEM partner Wistron Corporation and cover the device’s Wifi, Bluetooth and WWAN capabilities. This version of the ThinkPad Tablet 2 won approval for use of GSM bands 850 and 1900, and WCDMA bands II and V – the same bands used by AT&T in the US. Interestingly, the device was not approval for use of NFC or LTE, although these could be upgrades present in future versions of the ThinkPad Tablet 2.
Check out Lenovo’s FCC filing for the ThinkPad Tablet 2 here.
