When Microsoft announced its second generation Surface devices last September, the company also unveiled several new accessories for the hybrid tablets. Perhaps the most interesting was the Power Cover, a slightly thicker keyboard cover that also incorporated an external battery. Even with the improvements brought by the Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2, battery life has never been the product line’s strong suit, so the promise of nearly doubling running time with the Power Cover was intriguing for many users.
But while the Surface 2, Surface Pro 2, and most of the announced accessories shipped to consumers last year, the Power Cover remained unavailable. Now, nearly five months after the new devices shipped, Microsoft is finally ready to release the Power Cover.
The company announced pre-orders for the Power Cover late yesterday via Twitter, with a promised ship date of March 19th. Available for $200, the Power Cover is compatible with the Surface 2, Surface Pro 2, and original Surface Pro (sorry, Surface RT buyers, no juice for you). It adds just over a pound to the weight of the Surface tablet and, unlike Microsoft’s other colorful options, is only available in black.
Thanks to its shipping delay and high price, many will likely scoff at the Power Cover. But for dedicated Surface users, the prospect of nearly doubling battery life (Microsoft claims improvements of “up to 70 percent”) may make this the one truly must-have Surface accessory.
Interested users can pre-order the Surface Power Cover now at the online Microsoft Store.
