Microsoft Surface Pro 5 news: Q1 2017 release date confirmed?

Microsoft's next-generation hybrid laptop-tablet Surface Pro 5 is expected to arrive early 2017, reports claim.

Speculations about the release of the two-in-one device within the first quarter of the year were sparked by a report from the Taiwanese tech site DigiTimes, which cited the information given by a Chinese newspaper, Economic Daily News.

The upcoming Microsoft Surface Pro 5 will reportedly feature an ultra high-definition (UHD) display screen as well as a magnetic charging stylus. The report also claims that the device will be manufactured by Taiwanese company Pegatron Technology — the same company that created the past versions of the Surface Pro devices. However, another Taiwan-based manufacturer, Quanta Computer, is also being considered to create the upcoming device.

Other reports also claim that the rumored Microsoft Surface Pro 5 will feature an Intel Kaby Lake processor, but the successor of the Intel Skylake is not expected to be released before the second half of 2017. The device is also expected to come with a USB Type C and Thunderbolt support, as well as a 512 GB internal memory. The device is also believed to feature the latest version of the Windows 10 operating system (OS) upon release.

The Surface Pro 5 will serve as Microsoft's follow-up to the Surface Pro 4, which was released on Oct. 2015. The latter featured the sixth-generation Skylake Intel Core processor with 4 GB, 8 GB, and 16 GB memory options.

There are no reports yet to confirm if the rumored Surface Pro 5 will also work with the Type Cover accessory that came out with the Surface Pro 3. Gadget watchers would also like to find out if the device will also have a fingerprint ID sensor as well.

Microsoft is expected to unveil more details about the upcoming Surface Pro 5 laptop and tablet device during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2017 this week or during the Mobile World Congress (MWC) that will be held in Barcelona in late February.