The Microsoft Surface Pro 5 is among the most highly anticipated devices of this year and more information is reaching the surface, hinting at an exciting powerhouse.
The Surface Pro 4 2-in-1 proved to be powerful enough to serve as a laptop alternative and the successor should pack even more horsepower, but details have been rather scarce so far.
A new round of rumors and leaks, however, indicate that the upcoming Surface Pro 5 could boast a dual display, a Kaby Lake processor, and the same proprietary power connector as its predecessor.
Surface Pro 5 Dual Display
A Microsoft patent details a "Dual Display Device" with one side comprising of a regular screen, while the other would be an e-paper display. With this dual display setup, the e-paper screen would fold out and morph into a keyboard when necessary.
If Microsoft implements this patented technology with the upcoming Surface Pro 5, this dual display setup could replace the existing Surface Type Cover accessory that allows the Surface Pro tablets to serve as laptops.
At the same time, an e-paper display serving as a secondary screen would also help conserve battery life, which has been a target for criticism with the Surface Pro 4. The patent application details that the secondary screen could allow users to manage music libraries, for instance showing thumbnails of album art for users to choose.
A dual-screen Surface Pro 5 could also come in handy for gaming, as the e-paper display could turn into buttons and controls while the regular display would show the action.
Surface Pro 5 With Intel Kaby Lake Processor
The purported dual display is not the only exciting upgrade expected for the Surface Pro 5. Microsoft's next-generation hybrid is rumored to pack powerful Intel Kaby Lake processors under the hood, which should also translate to improved battery efficiency and more horsepower overall.
Some rumors also hinted at a Surface Pro 5 with AMD Ryzen under the hood, but most rumors favor the Kaby Lake possibility as the most likely one. Trusted and well-connected tech journalist and blogger Paul Thurrott also obtained some information about the upcoming Surface Pro 5 and mentions Kaby Lake as well.
Thurrott further notes that Microsoft will not change the proprietary Surface power connector with the Surface Pro 5, which should be good news to Surface Pro 4 owners looking to upgrade. At the same time, this also indicates that the new iteration will have a similar design with upgraded components, but nothing extraordinary. In fact, Thurrott notes that the Surface Pro 5 will bring "nothing dramatic."
Surface Pro 5 will not change the Surface Connect power connector, I was just told. Kaby Lake, nothing dramatic.
— Paul Thurrott (@thurrott) April 6, 2017
A dual display would definitely be quite dramatic and a major change, but it remains to be seen if it will materialize with the Surface Pro 5 or some other device later on.
The Surface Pro 5 is expected to hit the scene later this year, possibly in the second half of 2017, albeit some speculated that Microsoft could also plan a Spring reveal around the time it officially releases the Windows 10 Creators Update.
The slate is expected to rock a 4K UHD resolution, a hefty 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage, among the highlights, and it will most likely be among the top tablets of 2017.
With no official confirmation from Microsoft, however, take all news and reports with a grain of salt for now.
