Panos Panay and the Surface team just wrapped up their AMA on Reddit. The Q&A session had hundreds of questions about the new Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2. We’ve collected some of the more interesting answers and factoids into a handy, easy-to-digest bullet point list. Enjoy!
Surface 2
- Surface 2 with LTE integrated coming early next year. (Source)
- LTE version will have GPS. (Source)
- Surface 2 only comes in silver, no black option. (Source)
- Surface 2 does not have support the Surface Pen. It is still a capacitive display. (Source)
- Surface 2 still uses a 5-point multitouch display. (Source)
Surface Pro 2
- Surface Pro and Surface Pro 2 do not support connected standby. (Source)
- Surface Pro 2 features Intel 4400HD graphics. (Source)
- Surface Pro will work with new Docking Station. (Source)
- Surface Pro 2 uses the Haswell Intel Core i5-4200U as processor. (Source)
- Surface Pro 2 will support dual external displays at 2650 x 1600 along with the internal display. DisplayPort 1.2 on the Surface Pro 2 allows for daisy chaining 2 monitors. (Source)
Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2
- Surface display goes up to 400 nits in brightness. (Source)
- Both Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 feature Dolby processing built-in to improve audio. (Source)
- Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 will have Miracast support.
- Both Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 use 802.11 a/g/n 2x2 MIMO special diversity streams for Wi-Fi capabilities. 2.4G and 5G are supported for 802.11n. (Source)
- No support for NFC in either Surface 2 or Surface Pro 2. (Source)
Accessories
- Power connector is now easier to connect with the Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2. It has been redesigned to be easier to position and insert. The LED can now be seen from any angle. (Source)
- The Power Cover does not come with backlit keys (saving power is the concern, though it can charge your Surface when in the bag). (Source)
- The entire Touch Cover 2 can be used for gestures. (Source)
- Both Touch and Type Cover 2 will work with first generation Surface devices. The backlit functionality will also work on both the Surface RT and Surface Pro. (Source)
- Surface Pen and chargers from first generation will work with Surface Pro 2. (Source)
- New keyboards support Microsoft’s Precision Touchpad functionality in Windows 8.1. (Source)
- Touch Cover 2 features 1092 pressure sensors, up from 80 in the original. This will enabled more blades, like the Surface Music Kit, in the future. (Source)
Misc.
- Panos Panay uses the Nokia Lumia 1020 as his smartphone. (Sure it’s silly, but I thought it was cool). (Source)
- Julie Larson-Green enjoys a good, hoppy IPA. (Source)
Overall, a solid AMA. Curious about pricing and worldwide availability? The Surface 2 starts at $449 and the Surface Pro 2 starts at $899. Get full details here. What other questions do you have about the Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2? Sound off below.
Source: Reddit AMA

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