Neowin first broke the news that Microsoft was planning to release a Power Cover attachment for the Surface Pro and Surface Pro 2 tablets a few weeks before the company confirmed those plans in late September. At the official Surface 2 press event, we even got to see the Power Cover in action. As the name suggests, it was designed not just to provide a cover and backlit keyboard for the Surface Pro models, but could also extend the tablets' battery life for several more hours.
Microsoft only had one unit of the power cover to show off at the press event and at that time the company said it would be released sometime in early 2014 for $199.99. Over five months after the Surface 2 media event, and over four months since the new Surface tablets went on sale, we are still awaiting word on when the Power Cover will finally be made available to purchase.
Neowin contacted Microsoft this week to request an update on the Power Cover but a spokesperson simply repeated to us what they said in late September; that it would go on sale in early 2014. As we enter the month of March, the "early 2014" timeframe is looking more and more like it may not happen.
What's even more odd about the lack of a Surface Power Cover at this stage is the fact that owners of Nokia's Lumia 2520 tablet, which runs on Windows 8.1 RT, have been able to purchase their own Power Keyboard for some time. The attachment is currently on sale at Microsoft's retail store site for $149.99 for people who buy the 2520 from AT&T. A software patch that will allow the same keyboard to be used on Verizon's version of the 2520 is in the works.
So if Nokia can get their Power Keyboard for the 2520 out to customers, what's stopping Microsoft from doing the same with its Surface Power Cover? It's a mystery and it's one that the company apparently isn't willing to solve at the moment.
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