FCC confirms Wi-Fi 6 connectivity Microsoft's US$1,699 Surface Book 3

Expected to arrive before the end of May, the Surface Book 3 will be the first Surface Book since 2017. While there are questions about what CPUs and GPUs Microsoft will include in the Surface Book 3, we can tick Wi-Fi 6 connectivity off the list of hardware that will be making an appearance.

Brought to our attention by Windows Latest and r/Surface  the Surface Book 3 appears to have been tested by the FCC. Bearing the model number 1899, this "Microsoft Corporation Portable Computing Device' is not the Surface Go 2, as this has already appeared at the FCC. While the device may not be the Surface Book 3 either, we have seen no evidence to suggest that Microsoft has a third device planned for this spring.

As the screenshot below demonstrates, the device in question supports IEEE 802.11 ax, also known as Wi-Fi 6. The FCC also reveals that the device is using a Wi-Fi module number 1957, which Windows Latest claims denotes the Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201. The AX201 supports up to 2.4 Gbps transfer speeds over 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks, along with Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity.

In short, expect Wi-Fi 6 connectivity on the Surface Book 3. We should point out that while Microsoft has requested the FCC to grant confidentiality on publishing any device images until October 10, 2020, this does not necessarily correlate with a release date. The equivalent confidentiality agreement for the Surface Slim Pen expired in March, for example, so the Surface Book 3 should arrive months in advance of October 10.