Microsoft Surface Pro 5 release date, news, specs rumors: Microsoft delays Surface Pro 5 release for new Intel chipset, Windows 10 update

Miguel Salonga Monday, October 31, 2016

Promotional image for Microsoft Surface Pro 4 | Microsoft

Over the past months, it has been rumored that the next iteration of the Microsoft Surface pro will be released this year. It was suggested that the Surface Pro 5 will arrive in the last quarter of 2016. With the announcement of the October hardware event of the Redmond-based tech giant, many have anticipated that the Surface Pro 5 would be unveiled during the event. Unfortunately, it seems that it is still not the right time for the Surface Pro 5 to appear.

Although the speculations were rife that the Surface Pro 5 will arrive this year, there are already signs that the hybrid laptop will not be appearing anytime soon. According to iDigital Times, it is more likely that the Surface Pro 5 will be released in the early months of 2017. One reason is the next Windows 10 Redstone update that the next Surface Pro model will sport. Initially called the Redstone 2 update, it is believed that the Creators Update will be finished around Spring next year, and if the Surface Pro 5 will indeed run the updated OS, its release will have to be postponed to early 2017 as well.

Another cause of delay of the Surface Pro 5 release is the rumored next generation of Intel processor, the Kaby Lake chipset. Following the current Intel Skylake generation, the Kaby Lake is expected to be more efficient and powerful than today's computer processors. However, as great as it may appear, the Kaby Lake is not expected to be delivered until the end of the year. As the Surface Pro 5 is expected to be powered by a Kaby Lake chipset, the development of the device will take time until the first part of 2017.

During Microsoft's October 26 hardware event, the company has launched the upgraded Surface Book i7 model and the all-new Surface Studio desktop. For now, it looks like Microsoft has more Surface devices to be showcased in the coming months. As for the Surface Pro 5, it is expected to arrive as early as March 2017.