Microsoft Surface 3.

With recent reports seemingly indicating that Microsoft and Verizon Wireless will be parting ways, will Verizon Wireless offer and support the 4G/LTE version of the Surface 3? Early reports indicated that Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile would carry the device. at&t started to sell the S3 today. T-Mobile will have it available at the end of the month. Verizon Wireless has been silent.

If Verizon Wireless will not be selling the S3, please let us know so those of us who want to purchase one can make alternate arrangements. If the unit will be sold, can someone provide a time line?

Accepted answers

pacmusicman

Oh dear....

I just left the mall after speaking to a VZW store manager.

What she said to me is that I will not be able to bring an S3 over, insert my SIM card and have it work.

She said that there is no code for the S3 in VZW's database. No code = no go.

The only way to get an S3 onto the VZW network is via a Jetpack or tethering to a smartphone.

All comments

Ann154

There will be no time line given until Verizon Wireless issues a press release announcing when they will start to sell the device.

pacmusicman

The question is "Will Verizon Wireless be supporting/offering the device?". If the answer is a definite "No", Verizon Wireless might want to reveal this sooner rather than later so customers...such as myself...can start making alternative arrangements.

Ann154

Has Microsoft published the specifications of the LTE connected version of the tablet? If so, that is your best way to discover if Microsoft included the radio frequencies compatible with Verizon Wireless. The other option is to find the FCC filing information about the tablet.

pacmusicman

As of this moment, only a GSM compatible version is being offered. With the relationship between Verizon Wireless and Microsoft up in the air, the general public has no idea what the story is.

Microsoft won't likely create a CDMA version if Verizon Wireless has no plans to sell it now or ever.

Ann154

I checked the Microsoft store and a couple of other sites. The unlocked version won't be able until sometime in August. The AT&T version has the LTE bands capable of working with the Verizon Wireless network. If the unlocked version is the exact same model number, it should work on the Verizon Wireless network.

The bands from the AT&T site. LTE Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 29, 38, and 41. As you can see it supports a ton of LTE networks. The important ones for Verizon Wireless are bands 13 and 4.

So all you need to do is be patient and wait until it is available as an unlocked version. Otherwise purchase it at full retail price from AT&T and immediately request for it to be unlocked.

pacmusicman

If I understand the above information correctly, I should be able to pickup an unlocked Surface 3 from the local Microsoft Store, carry it and my old Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 (2012) to the Verizon Wireless Store in the same mall and they should be able to transfer the service over with no muss or fuss?

I have no qualms waiting until August. What I am leery of is purchasing the S3 from Microsoft or whoever only yo be told "Sorry, we are not going to support Microsoft tablets on the network".

Ann154

If the two devices use the same SIM card size, you might not have to go to the store. Moving the SIM card to the new device and it should activate the device.

pacmusicman

I pulled up my account profile on Verizon Wireless's website. It shows my two current devices...Samsung Galaxy S4 and the Note 10.1. Should the SIM card be correct for both devices, would moving it to the S3 automatically update VZW's database...or...is that a manual process?

Ann154

I wouldn't move the Galaxy S4 SIM card to the Surface 3. The data plan and line access fee are different for those two devices. The Note 10.1 to the Surface 3 are the same device type so it should be more automatic.

pacmusicman

Oh dear....

I just left the mall after speaking to a VZW store manager.

What she said to me is that I will not be able to bring an S3 over, insert my SIM card and have it work.

She said that there is no code for the S3 in VZW's database. No code = no go.

The only way to get an S3 onto the VZW network is via a Jetpack or tethering to a smartphone.