Any word on the Power Cover?

[FrankMurphy]

Just got my Surface Pro 2. I'm loving the improved battery life. In my mind, the real killer accessory is the Power Cover, since it would allow me to get an entire day of heavy usage out of a single charge. Has anyone heard anything about when it might drop? The dock is now out after having initially been announced for early 2014. Might the Power Cover also make an early appearance?

 

[7SAN]

I have a hunch that we'll see it by mid-Dec, major concern for me is, will it be backlit?

 

[CrippsCorner]

It will not be back lit.

 

[cafutter]

Will it work on the Surface Pro (1)?

 

[oion]

Will it work on the Surface Pro (1)?

Yes.

 

[Deleted member 10837]

I initially wanted the Power Cover too but it will just be a battery attached to a Type Cover 1 so I decided to go with the Type Cover 2 instead.

 

[mgixian]

Heavy, overpriced, doesn't sport the greatly improved Type 2 keyboard.....what's not to like?

I get 7-8 hours out of my SP2 as it is now. This cover would have been popular last year if it had launched with the SP1 but now it's a niche product for an already niche product.

 

[oion]

Heavy, overpriced, doesn't sport the greatly improved Type 2 keyboard.....what's not to like?

I get 7-8 hours out of my SP2 as it is now. This cover would have been popular last year if it had launched with the SP1 but now it's a niche product for an already niche product.

The small number of target user for this (lots of plane flights everywhere) would still see value in this and will probably cough up the money.

I do agree that the power cover should have been released much earlier to retain value on the SP1. At the latest, it should have been released with the 2nd gen launch in September and made available in October.

 

[mgixian]

The small number of target user for this (lots of plane flights everywhere) would still see value in this and will probably cough up the money.

I do agree that the power cover should have been released much earlier to retain value on the SP1. At the latest, it should have been released with the 2nd gen launch in September and made available in October.

I'm one of those users - I fly 150k miles a year, international and domestic - and in my opinion, we're better served by an external battery like this one:

Microsoft Surface External Battery & Car Adapter Charger

For $130 ($145 if you want a car charger with it) you get a battery that adds 4-8 hours extra life for the SP2 and has usb inputs to charge other stuff like your phone, etc. And you can use the (far better) Type/Touch 2 covers instead.

I haven't seen a price on the battery cover yet, but it's a fair bet it's going to cost more than the $130 the Type 2 costs now. Now, you could argue that with the battery cover you could just buy that and not a regular one, and use the USB port on the SP2 to charge phones, all of which is true, but you'll still be stuck with a sub-par (compared to the Type 2) keyboard that's not backlit, heavier, and you would need to have all the time whether you needed the extra battery or not. With the external battery, just stick it in your bag for long flights and you're set.

Again, I do agree that for a small - small - subset of users the battery cover would be more convenient - namely, those that need that extra battery every single day but for frequent travellers I think the external battery is the better, and more flexible, option.

Getting to be a moot point on planes anyway - even in Economy class I haven't had a seat without at least a couple outlets in over a year, but YMMV.

 

[oion]

I'm one of those users - I fly 150k miles a year, international and domestic - and in my opinion, we're better served by an external battery like this one:

Microsoft Surface External Battery & Car Adapter Charger

For $130 ($145 if you want a car charger with it) you get a battery that adds 4-8 hours extra life for the SP2 and has usb inputs to charge other stuff like your phone, etc. And you can use the (far better) Type/Touch 2 covers instead.

I haven't seen a price on the battery cover yet, but it's a fair bet it's going to cost more than the $130 the Type 2 costs now. Now, you could argue that with the battery cover you could just buy that and not a regular one, and use the USB port on the SP2 to charge phones, all of which is true, but you'll still be stuck with a sub-par (compared to the Type 2) keyboard that's not backlit, heavier, and you would need to have all the time whether you needed the extra battery or not. With the external battery, just stick it in your bag for long flights and you're set.

Again, I do agree that for a small - small - subset of users the battery cover would be more convenient - namely, those that need that extra battery every single day but for frequent travellers I think the external battery is the better, and more flexible, option.

Getting to be a moot point on planes anyway - even in Economy class I haven't had a seat without at least a couple outlets in over a year, but YMMV.

That's definitely more flexible. Not as aesthetically pleasing as a matching cover, and I expect that subset who wants the power cover will care about that rather than an external power-bladder with cord. I also totally forgot about the plane outlets.

There could have been another ideal set of users if Microsoft timed the stupid thing right: Surface Pro 1 users who didn't want to upgrade to Pro 2 for the extra battery. But no, MS was lame there...

Ultimately, though, it doesn't matter. If they go through all that effort for an accessory that doesn't sell, MS will lower the price. If it does stay at the same retail price, then we can infer that there's enough of a market for it. Everyone else can get the cheaper externals... same argument for the keyboards and any other official accessory.

 

[godson594]

I think it will be great for SP1 users and those who are mobile. I will never complain about Microsoft making a bunch of different "blades"

 

[sam]

Let me ask original question again, any word on release date of Power Cover? Thanks.