Surface Pro Could Get External Battery, Microsoft Reveals

Microsoft will officially launch the Surface Pro -- the larger, more powerful version of its Surface tablet -- on Feb. 9. The reviews are already in, though, and if there's one consistent knock against the device it's battery life, which lasts only a few hours. However, Microsoft's engineering team has revealed that external batteries may be in the works.

The Surface engineering team hosted an AMA (ask me anything) about the Surface Pro on Reddit Wednesday afternoon, and one redditor asked if any kind of keyboard accessory with a built-in battery -- which is the norm for other companies' Windows tablets such as the Samsung Series 7 -- was in the works.

[More from Mashable: Next Xbox May Not Play Used Games]

One of the multiple Microsoft engineers on the AMA, which was led by Surface general manager Panos Panay, replied that such an accessory would only be possible if the magnetic accessory connector was designed to transfer high current between the peripheral and tablet's battery.

Then he wrote, "Which we did..."

[More from Mashable: Reddit Allows Only ?Acceptable? Ads]

Redditors expressed excitement about this reply, taking it to mean Microsoft may have external battery solutions in the works for the Surface Pro, possibly including a keyboard. However, no one from Microsoft elaborated what sort of products would be forthcoming, or even if there would be any. Spokespeople for Microsoft didn't immediately reply to a request for confirmation.

The Surface engineering team revealed a couple of other interesting tidbits about the new tablet during the AMA. The reason the Pro version of the tablet came three months after the Surface RT is because Microsoft didn't start working on it until three months after development for the RT version began. Clearly Microsoft prioritized the simpler, lighter tablet, presumably to have its proper competitor to the iPad on the market as soon as possible.

One of the engineers also said Microsoft was working "aggressively" on improving how the Surface Pro outputs its display to an external monitor. Since the Surface Pro has such a high-resolution screen it scales the desktop to 150% on its relatively small 10.6-inch screen. However, if extending to an external display, the zoom can't be different between the two screens -- a feature Microsoft will apparently be adding soon.

Does Microsoft's AMA make you more interested in the Surface Pro? Let us know in the comments.

Click here to view the gallery: Microsoft Surface Pro Review

Image by Nina Frazier, Mashable

This story originally published on Mashable here.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/surface-pro-could-external-battery-microsoft-reveals-163545945.html

duggars peter facinelli bobby rush supreme court justices 19 kids and counting danny o brien alicia silverstone