Rumors of a number of tablets that are expected to be launched in 2017 are swirling in the tech space.
Some of the rumored upcoming tablets of 2017 that are eagerly awaited by consumers are the Microsoft Surface Pro 5, iPad Pro 2 and Google Nexus 7 (Pixel 7).
Here is what to expect from these tablets.
Surface Pro 5
Microsoft launched and released the Surface Pro 4 in October 2015 and the launch of its successor is long overdue, which makes Surface Pro 5 one of the most anticipated tablets of 2017.
The Surface Pro 5 tablet is expected to come running on Intel's seventh-generation Kaby Lake processor. The Surface Pro 4 is available with 4 GB / 8 GB / 16 GB RAM configurations and with up to 256 GB of internal storage capacity.
The Surface Pro 5 may come with the same RAM options but customers will want that the tablet also has a model with 512 GB of on-board storage capacity.
The Surface Pro 4 was plagued with battery drain issues. Customers will hope that Microsoft takes care of the problem in the upcoming Surface Pro 5.
Microsoft's next tablet is estimated to come running on Windows 10 Redstone 2 and support USB Type-C, which is not present in the Surface Pro 4.
A previous Tech Times report suggests that the Microsoft may launch the tablet as early as January 2017. However, the report also notes that Microsoft may announce the detachable in the second half of 2017.
iPad Pro 2
Apple launched the 12.9-inch iPad Pro in September 2015 while the 9.7-inch iPad Pro made an appearance in March this year.
Speculations are rife that Apple is expected to launch three iPads in 2017 with different form factors: 9.7-inch screen, 12.9-inch screen and a new model with 10.5-inch screen.
All the three iPads are expected to come running on A11 chip and 3 GB of RAM. The tablets could include 32 GB / 128 GB / 256 GB on-board storage capacities. Given that iPads do not support microSD card that allows for storage expansion, customers will hope that Apple also introduces a 512 GB model of the iPad Pro 2.
According to a DigiTimes report, shipments of the 10.5-inch iPad may reach 2 million units in Q1 2017 and 5 to 6 million units for the entire year. This means that Apple could launch its new iPad sometime in the first quarter of 2017.
Google Nexus 7
The Google Nexus 7 may also be called Pixel 7. Undoubtedly, the Pixel 7 will come running on Google's latest mobile operating system — Android 7.1 Nougat — straight out of the box.
The Pixel 7 is rumored to feature a 7-inch Quad HD screen with a display resolution of 2,560 x 1,440 pixels. Under the hood could be a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, 4 GB of RAM and Adreno 530 GPU.
The Pixel 7 could offer 64 GB of internal storage with the option to expand the memory to up to 2 TB with a microSD card. The Google tablet may include a 13-megapixel rear-facing camera.
Rumors suggest that Google is in track to launch the tablet by the end of 2016, which means customers may see the tablet hit the shelves sooner than later.
