Microsoft's Windows-powered Surface Pro 5, the Surface Pro 4's successor, is one of the most hotly anticipated devices on the market.
Rumors pertaining to the tablet's release have been surfacing frequently as eager consumers await the device's arrival.
We take a look at the specs, features and potential release date of the Surface Pro 5 in this rumor roundup.
Specs And Features
Little has leaked with regard to the Surface Pro 5's specs but it is anticipated to sport a 12.3-inch PixelSense display like its predecessors.
The impending tablet is also rumored to tout a 2K resolution display and a 4K Ultra HD variant is allegedly also on the cards. This news will be welcomed by fans as Microsoft stuck to the 2,736 x 1,824 resolution for both the Surface Pro 4 and Surface Pro 3.
Rumors are also rife that the top-end variant of the Surface Pro 5 will house 16 GB of RAM. The tablet may also run on Windows 10 (Redstone 2 update) and house AMD or Nvidia Pascal GPU.
The tablet will allegedly come with an upgraded Surface Pen, which could pack in a rechargeable battery that supports wireless charging when attached to the tablet magnetically. A patent from the company previously hinted at the new features.
The device is also expected to offer an improved battery and come with USB-C support for charging. It is slated to house Intel's seventh-gen processor — Kaby Lake.
Release Date
The release date for the Surface Pro 5 has been the center of quite a bit of drama. Previous reports hinted at a June 2016 release. However, since that time window lapsed, rumors started circulating that Microsoft would release the tablet in spring 2017.
Speculation is also rife that the company had to hold off the release as the Intel processor would release by the end of this year. Moreover, the Surface Pro 5's 2017 release date also coincides with the Windows 10 Redstone 2 update's arrival.
In July, a developer tweeted images that showed off placeholders for new Surface devices. One placeholder revealed a 2016 release date for a Surface device, and three others showed 2017. The words "Coming Soon" were also seen in a close-up of one of the images, which were taken in Microsoft's Building 88. This suggests that the company could debut the device soon enough.
Other reports suggest that Microsoft may actually announce the Surface Pro 5 in October this year but release it in early 2017.
Price
The base model of the Surface Pro 5, presumably the non 4K UHD variant, will likely start from $899. The top-end 4K UHD variant is anticipated to be priced at $1,599, according to rumors.
