If ever there was any doubt that Microsoft was on the right track with its 2-in-1 device. Those doubts were put to rest by its own rival Apple when they began borrowing ideas from Microsoft. Ideas Apple swore off never do; like the Apple Pencil and a keyboard for the iPad in an attempt to make a laptop replacement. To reaffirm themselves as a market leader in this revolutionary line of 2-in-1 devices, Microsoft is set to release the Surface Pro 5.
For a long time, iPad were the market leader in this niche of portable tablet computing. Followed by Samsung line of tablets. However, Microsoft disrupted that, and it is safe to say the Surface line of devices now are the market leaders. That is because they not only give you a practical tablet but ones that can actually replace your laptop. They also run the full desktop app, whether in tablet or laptop mode.
The Surface Pro 4 was a huge success by any measure for Microsoft and even its rivals. It is a tablet (with a very intuitive stylus) that becomes a laptop when you attach a keyboard. That is not to say it was the first 2-in-1 device to hit the market. In anything, there is a plethora of 2-in-1 devices out there, but what makes the Surface Pro 4 standout high above the rest, is its powerful processor, which hits as high as Core i7.
Release Date
So you can understand the pressure on Microsoft not to release a successor of the Pro 4 that is anything short of powerful and efficient machinery. Therefore, if precedence is anything to go by; you remember the first Surface Pro was released in February 2013, Surface Pro 2 in October 2013, Surface Pro 3 in June 2014 and Surface Pro 4 in October 2015. It should be safe to say that the Surface Pro 5 is highly likely to be released in October 2016. If we miss that, then sometime in February 2017, will be the next probable guess.
Rumored Specs on the Surface Pro 5
There are rumors doing rounds that the Surface Pro 5 will have the latest Kaby Lake Processor, which is said to come out early next year. For that reasons, the Feb 2017 release of Pro 5 is a possibility not to be ignored.
The Kaby Lake processor is said will give the Pro 5 not just increased processing speeds and power, but also improve the battery life. Meaning you will get more hours (all day) working on the device. Unlike Surface Pro 4 Intel Skylake processor, which led to shortened battery life and a slow USB connection file transfer.
Pro 5 is said will come with USB-C connection, which allows you to charge the device, and transfer files from the same port. That would mean, you will have fewer peripherals cable connections to worry about.
The base model of the Pro 5 is expected to start at $900 with the high-end Core i7 version selling at around $1,800. More or less like the Pro 4, albeit a little higher. For more information about the rumored specs, check out the video below by CTNTechnologyNews: