Microsoft Surface Pro 5 release date, news, rumors: Microsoft to announce new Surface devices this October?

It has long been rumored that Microsoft will be refreshing their lineup of Surface devices this year. However, the company has been also quiet for the past few months regarding their plans to release a brand new Surface model, particularly the successor of the Microsoft Surface Pro 4. Regardless, the latest rumors all point to the October unveiling of the highly anticipated hybrid device of 2016.

The Surface Pro line boasts an incredible combination of a laptop and a tablet, and before the year ends, the public might see the arrival of its latest iteration, the Surface Pro 5. According to Game N Guide, the release of the new Surface Pro can be expected as early as next month. This is because of the anticipated press event to be held by Microsoft this October, which was first announced to be the Windows 10 Devices event. There are speculations that this event will be used by the Redmond-based tech giant to unveil the latest Surface gadgets in their inventory, one of them being the Surface Pro 5. Aside from the new Surface Pro, it is rumored that the Surface Book 2 and the first-ever Surface Phone will also be showcased next month.

Tech enthusiasts have a lot to expect from the Surface Pro 5, especially that it is supposed to improve on the weaknesses of its predecessor. International Business Times reported that the Surface Pro 5 is going to have longer battery life unlike the Surface Pro 4. To note, the Surface Pro 4 is one of the most powerful devices from Microsoft in recent years, but the users could not help but notice its very limited battery capacity.

The most likely reason behind the Surface Pro 4's shortened battery life is the performance of its processor, Intel Skylake. It is rumored that Microsoft might be skipping on the Skylake chipset and use Intel's next generation of processor. The users may see the Surface Pro 5 powered by the Intel Kaby Lake processor. However, people may have to wait until the first quarter of 2017 as the Kaby Lake chipsets needed by Microsoft to create the Surface Pro 5 have not yet been shipped. If Microsoft is really going to push through with the October unveiling of the Surface Pro 5, then the device may instead pack with the Skylake processor.

Other rumored specs of the Surface Pro 5 include a 4K screen resolution, making it among today's few devices sporting UHD display. It is also expected to have PixelSense display panel and 21-inch, 24-inch and 27-inch screen options. Its RAM capacity is reported to go up to 16GB.