Surface Pro 5 release date plans seem to be trending towards 2017 if the latest insider reports are any indication. Microsoft has an October showcase planned, but The Verge sources suggest the refreshed tablet won’t be there.
Assuming that’s true, what this tells us is that Microsoft has absolutely no intention to make Surface Pro refreshes a guaranteed yearly happening like Apple does with its iOS devices. Instead, as 2016 comes to a close, it appears the Surface Pro 4 successor will likely ship in the first quarter of 2017 at the earliest. This was something we recently predicted based on anecdotal speculation and hardware clues, but now it seems all the more official.
Of course, those that follow the Surface line closely will know there’s plenty of precedent for inconsistent release schedules. About 11 months separated the Surface Pro 2 and Surface Pro 3, while the Surface Pro 4 launched about 16 months from its predecessor. Clearly there’s some give and take on when these products arrive. Another 16-month gap seems to be reasonable to us, though.
With no Surface Pro 5 to show, the question then turns to what Microsoft actually plans to discuss. As an alternative to a brand new tablet, leaks suggest that we might see a brand new keyboard and mouse set for Surface devices. This assumed desktop peripheral set gives plenty of credence to rumors of a Surface all-in-one system that emerged this August. According to patents, the PC will have stacked, modular components and might be able to double function as a port dock for other Surface products. Its expected display size is 27 inches. There’s also an old magnetic pen patent that could be paired with something like this.
In addition to hardware, Microsoft also plans to ship two major updates to Windows 10 in the 2017 calendar year. With that in mind, it’s possible we’ll see preview builds of those new iterations in action. There are also countless manufacturing partners that Microsoft must please as well. New PC innovation from the likes of HP or Lenovo doesn’t seem too unlikely.
As of right now, the Surface Pro 5 has no known release date. The Microsoft showcase is set to take place on Oct. 26 at 10 a.m. ET. Live streaming is expected.
When do you think the Surface Pro 5 release date will be? What do you hope to see from the October event? Tell us in the comments section!
