In its October event, Microsoft made no announcement regarding the Surface Pro 5, which would followed the well-received and very popular Surface Pro 4. Since then, the company still has not released a statement regarding its next generation hybrid device. Nevertheless, there have been various leaks regarding the unit's features, price and design.
According to C|Net, it is likely that the Surface Pro 5 will be powered by Intel's upcoming Kaby Lake processor, which is slated for launch at the end of the year. This would improve on the incumbent processor, the Skylake chips, immensely. It also provides the public with a general idea of when the Pro 5 will be released. That is, in the early months of 2017.
Other than a new processor, the device is also expected to come with a new Surface Pen. The accessory, which is currently powered by AAA batteries, is estimated to be rechargeable via a new dock in the Surface Pro 5. Furthermore, Microsoft is likely include a USB Type C port, but will keep the USB 3.0 port, microSD card slot and 3.5mm audio jack port onboard as well.
International Business Times adds that the display of the unit might also be improved. The Surface Pro 5 might just include a 4K/UHD display feature, which has a 3860 x 2560 pixel resolution. Despite the upgrade, however, the unit will still have the same 3:2 aspect ratio that has become standard to the product line.
The Surface Line from Microsoft is definitely not one of its more affordable product lines. The lowest tier of the Surface Pro 4 was sold at US$899. However, this value increased to US$2,000, depending on the processor and storage space. The same prices are likely to be seen in the Surface Pro 5.
It was also mentioned that while the keyboard of the Surface Pro devices have always come as an accessory, it is possible that the Redmond-based company will finally bundle up the devices together. However, Microsoft has made no official announcement regarding the details or official reveal of the Surface Pro 5.
