The next-gen Surface Pro 5 tablet from Microsoft, the successor of the Surface Pro 4, is eagerly awaited in the mobile devices space.
While leaks pertaining to the device have been rare, rumors surrounding the Surface Pro 5's release and anticipated features have been swirling in the tech space for a while now.
We delve into not only the rumored specs, features and possible release date for the Surface Pro 5, but also some non-rumored features we would like the Microsoft tablet to sport.
Rumored Specs And Features
The Surface Pro 5 is rumored to sport a 12.3-inch PixelSense screen, but the tablet could come in two variants — a 2K resolution and a 4K Ultra HD version.
The next-gen Microsoft tablet could pack in 16 GB of RAM and be powered by the Kaby Lake processor from Intel. However, some rumors suggest that the 2-in-1 device may deploy Intel's Sky Lake processor instead.
It is also anticipated to have AMD or Nvidia Pascal GPU and an enhanced battery with USB-C support.
The Surface Pro 5 may possibly run on the Redstone 2 update for Windows 10 and have an enhanced Surface Pen. The new stylus will allegedly offer wireless charging support — a feature that is hinted at in a patent owned by the company.
Features We Would Like To See
The Surface Pro 4 may have been well-received by consumers, but that does not mean that it was perfect. Since most next-gen iterations of a device tend to pack in improvements and enhanced features, here are some things on our wishlist for the Surface Pro 5:
Bigger Display
Microsoft may have included a sharper display in the Surface Pro 5 judging by the 4K UHD variant option, but we are hoping it does the change a little more justice by slightly increasing the screen size of the PC tablet to put it at par with laptops. A 13.3-inch display size like most laptops perhaps or a 12.9-inch one like the iPad Pro? Why? So that it can diminish the distinction between a tablet and laptop further.
USB Type-C
To keep up with the changing times, the Surface Pro 5 could transition to the USB Type-C standard which is available in the latest MacBook and Chromebook Pixel. The versatility the technology will offer will undoubtedly be a useful solution for the Surface Pro 5's issue with its input/output. The USB Type-C port is already deployed by the company in Lumia smartphones and, therefore, extending the technology to its Surface tablet should not be an issue.
Longer Battery Life
The Surface Pro 4 may have a battery saving Sleep mode, but it did not do much for the device's battery life with many consumers complaining of the same. Microsoft promised 9 hours of video playback support on the Surface Pro 4, but in reality it translated to much less — just a little over 5 hours. For the Surface Pro 5, we want the battery to support at least 7 hours of reliable usage, which would put the tablet at par with its rival the iPad Pro.
Release Date
Previous rumors have suggested everything from a June 2016, October 2016 to spring 2017 release date for the Surface Pro 5.
The latest assertions are that the Surface Pro 5 will launch in early 2017 — possibly January. A possible reason why Microsoft has had to push back the release of the next-gen tablet to 2017 is because the Intel Kaby Lake processor is poised to launch in end 2016.
Additionally, the arrival of the Windows 10 Redstone 2 OS is also slated for early 2017. It would make sense for Microsoft to pre-load the latest OS on its new tablet.
Price
The Surface Pro 5's base model is anticipated to start at $899, with the 4K UHD model expected to retail at a steep $1,599 per the rumor mill.
