Microsoft Surface Pro 5 release date, news, specs rumors: Surface Pro 5 launch in 2017 expected alongside Surface Phone

Miguel Salonga Monday, November 21, 2016

Promotional image for Microsoft Surface Pro 4 | Microsoft

Earlier this year, there had been rumors that the next iteration of the Microsoft Surface Pro would be released this year. It was suggested that the Surface Pro 5 will arrive in the last quarter of 2016. Given that the October hardware event of the Redmond-based tech giant would be the last for this year, many have anticipated that the Surface Pro 5 would be unveiled during the event. Unfortunately, many Surface Pro 5 followers were disheartened when Microsoft failed to talk about the much awaited Surface Pro revamp.

Even though the Surface Pro 5 did not arrive last month or will not be seen for the rest of the year, it seems that it is simply not the right time yet for the brand new hybrid laptop to be released. According to iDigital Times, it has always been more likely that the Surface Pro 5 will be released in the early months of 2017 due to a number of ongoing developments regarding the gadget's features. One of those is the next update of the Windows 10 Redstone operating system (OS). The Redstone 2 OS update is rumored to be unveiled via the Surface Pro 5, and in this case, the new Surface Pro 5 may have to wait until the first quarter of 2017 when the next Windows 10 update is ready.

Another reason for the Surface Pro 5 postponement is the Intel Kaby Lake processor, which is expected to power up the refreshed Surface Pro laptops. Intel is said to not have delivered yet the rest of the Kaby Lake processors needed to create the Surface Pro 5, so the release of the gadget will now happen early 2017.

Yibada reported that the Surface Pro 5 may be unveiled as early as February next year. Aside from the Surface Pro revamp, Microsoft may also reveal the first ever Surface Phone handset early next. The joint release of the two much-awaited Surface products is something that the Microsoft followers would want to happen. The presentation is expected to happen at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2017, if the rumors are to be believed.