Microsoft will apparently host a special hardware event in late October to showcase its latest gadgets and a Surface All-in-One (AIO) PC will reportedly headline the event.
Rumors of an upcoming Microsoft Surface AIO PC running Windows 10 have been making rounds for some time now, but details have been rather scarce. There's still not a lot of information available, but it now looks like the official unveiling is just around the corner.
ZDnet has learned that a Surface device codenamed "Cardinal" will break cover late next month and suspects it is none other than the rumored Surface AIO PC. Previous reports have indicated that Microsoft was working on three Surface AIO models with different screen sizes — 21-, 24- and 27-inch models — but it remains unclear at this point whether the company will launch all three versions.
The new report from ZDnet also speculates that this purported "Cardinal" Surface AIO may be the consumer-focused variant of Microsoft's high-end Surface Hub, borrowing the impressive Perceptive Pixel display technology.
Since the Surface Pro 5 and Surface Book 2 are not expected until the Spring of 2017, this purported Surface AIO might as well be the star of Microsoft's upcoming Fall hardware event this October.
This seems to bolster earlier rumbles regarding a Surface AIO. Microsoft filed for a patent for an AIO PC back in July 2015 and obtained it in February of this year, detailing a "modular computing device."
Microsoft is keeping mum for now, offering no details as to what it plans to announce at the October event. This leaves things shrouded in mystery for the most part, at least at this point, with nothing but speculation to go on.
With gradually intensifying leaks and tidbits of information continuing to surface (no pun intended) regarding this purported Surface AIO, the probability of such a device launching this year seems to be getting stronger.
If Microsoft does unleash a Surface AIO PC running Windows 10, it will likely aim to challenge Apple's high-end iMacs AIOs. Microsoft has already been gunning for Apple and comparing its Surface devices with Apple's hardware. Most recently, Microsoft released a Surface Pro 4 ad mocking the MacBook Air, noting that Apple's device is less useful, like "a hat for a cat."
Should this "Cardinal" turn out to be a powerful Surface AIO, it will be interesting to see how the competition will heat up.
With no formal confirmation from Microsoft, however, it's best to take such reports with a grain of salt.
