When the Microsoft Surface Pro 4 came out in October last year, it was regarded as perhaps the best device ever to come from the Redmondian company.
With the combination laptop tablet about to mark its one-year market cycle next month, rumors and speculations are starting to get louder on the impending arrival of the Microsoft Surface Pro 5.
High among the rumored features of the Surface Pro 5 is its next-generation processor from Intel, which accordingly is to be called as Kaby Lake.
More than the name of the processor, what’s really interesting is the fact that Intel actually used 14-nanometer technologies in designing the Kaby Lake processor which means that it is more high-tech and more advanced. As such, it is also expected that the Kaby Lake processor shall bring about more impressive features for the Microsoft Surface Pro 5.
The Kaby Lake processor was announced by Intel on August 30, 2016, but it began shipping to manufacturers and OEMs in the second quarter of this year. Mass production, however, is not expected to commence until late this year.
Impending release gains traction
The speculations about the impending arrival of the Microsoft Surface Pro 5 also started gaining traction when retail prices of the Surface Pro 4 started dropping in a number of retail stores a few weeks ago.
Last month, the Surface Pro 4 received a price cut of $280 on account of a 50-hour sale that concluded on August 20.
Based on the previous rumors, the Microsoft Surface Pro 5 shall reportedly come out with a 4K Ultra High Definition (UHD) panel screen. It is also reported to feature a USB Type-C port, which has become the norm in modern devices because of its very fast data transfers, reports Game & Guide.
There are also reports saying that Microsoft shall be positioning the Surface Pro 5 against the upcoming 2016 Apple MacBook Pro due to come out within the week based on rumors. But some critics aver that the Surface Pro 5 is more intended to do battle with the iPad Pro since both are hybrid laptop and tablet, also known as laplet.
However, compared to the 2016 Apple MacBook Pro, the Microsoft Surface Pro 5 will be several notches better since the former device shall be sporting the Intel Skylake processor which is only the predecessor of the Kaby Lake chipset to be used in the latter.
The Surface Pro 5 shall also feature a Surface Pen that is attached to the battery magnetically. It shall have an even better camera compared to the Surface Pro 4.
Initial rumored release date
There were reports saying that the Microsoft Surface Pro 5 shall come out in June but that did not happen as Microsoft was reportedly planning to add an array of awe-inspiring features to the device to ensure that it makes a solid impression on its fans and prospective users when it finally comes out.
After the main flaw of the Microsoft Surface Pro 4 last year was cited particularly the battery, which only lasts for nine hours, the American tech company has apparently learned its past lesson by equipping the Surface Pro 5 with a robust battery, reports the University Herald.
It has been reported that the Surface Pro 5 will have a comparatively better battery than the Surface Pro 4.
There are also reports saying that the fifth generation of the Surface Pro is going to be a gaming-oriented device and it may possibly boast of either an NVIDIA’s Pascal or an AMD graphics processor called ‘Polaris.’ The device is likely to be well-received by gamers as it is going to be packed with all the key elements needed for high-performance and heavy gaming.
It also said that the hybrid laptop-tablet shall be replacing its existing AAAA battery-powered stylus with a Surface Pen.