Microsoft Surface Pro 5 release date, specs rumors: Big announcement October; Still waiting for Windows Redstone 2 update, Intel Kaby Lake

If the rumors are anything to go by, Microsoft is currently gearing up for the highly anticipated next iteration of the Surface Pro flagship brand. It is rumored that the Redmond-based tech giant will be unveiling the Microsoft Surface Pro 5 in the coming months, and the upcoming hybrid device has some big shoes to fill. Its supposed predecessor, the Surface Pro 4, has been well-received by the tech analysts and soared high in the market.

While the public may already be feeling the hype for the Surface Pro 5, it is not expected that the 2-in-1 device will be released this 2016. As reported by Mobile N Apps, the Surface Pro 5 is expected to be released in the early months of 2017. To be specific, it may arrive as early as Spring next year. This is contrary to the earlier rumors suggesting that the Surface Pro 5 will be officially launched this year, although it is still possible that a big announcement confirming the existence of the new Surface Pro will happen. PC Advisor UK speculates that Microsoft's special announcement regarding the Surface Pro 5 will fall sometime in October this year.

As early as now, there are some rumored specs and features of the yet-to-be-released Surface device. One of the interesting rumors about the Surface Pro 5 is it being the first Microsoft gadget to sport a USB-C port. The new generation of laptops have already featured USB-C ports in their design, and this is very useful because of its lightning speed data transferring capabilities, Game N Guide reported. Moreover, the size of a USB-C port is small enough to allow a thinner and lighter design for the device.

The Surface Pro 5 is also reported to have a 4K Ultra High Definition (UHD) panel screen, perfect for those who are after the best visual experience.

Going back to the Spring 2017 release of Surface Pro 5, the official release of Intel Kaby Lake chipset is one of the main reasons why Microsoft still could not release their new Surface device this year. The Kaby Lake processors are not expected to be shipped until late 2016, so it is more likely that the Surface Pro 5 will be released early 2017. Also, the Windows 10 Redstone 2 OS  is rumored as one of the main features of the Surface Pro, and the next Windows 10 update is not yet expected to arrive until early next year.