Microsoft Surface Pro 5 Release Date And News: Hybrid Laptop Put On Hold For Microsoft Surface Book 2 [VIDEO]
The Surface Pro 5 is one of Microsoft's most anticipated devices. Since the release of the highly successful and well-reviewed Surface Pro 4, fans of the tech giant's premium line of devices have been waiting for the next iterations of the powerful machines.
If rumors and leaks are any indication, it seems like fans don't need to wait very long.
Leaked Images and a 2016 Surface Device
Despite Microsoft being very silent about the official release date of its Surface devices, a leaked image from Microsoft's building 88 appears to refer to a Surface device coming in 2016. The image in question was a photograph of a wall where Surface devices are displayed, from the first Surface hybrid to the Surface Pro 4 and the Surface Book.
From what could be seen in the image, an empty slot in the wall right below the Surface Pro 4 seems to suggest that a Surface device would be making an appearance in 2016. While the 2016 branding on the slot might simply be Microsoft's idea of a joke, the fact that it is there as part of the company's own display wall of Surface devices says a lot.
Surface Pro 5 to Release Early 2017
Speculations are high that Microsoft would be releasing the Surface Pro 5 sometime early next year. This is because the device is said to pack the latest that today's technology has to offer. With that said, rumors state that the Surface Pro 5 would be packing Intel's latest Kaby Lake processors. Since Intel has only released the chips to manufacturers recently, a 2016 release date for the Surface Pro 5 is quite unlikely.
What is possible, however, is an announcement for the Surface Pro 5 to come before the end of the year. The Surface Pro 4 was launched last October; thus, it would make sense if Microsoft would at least announce the Surface Pro 5 in the same month this year.
Is 2016's Device the Surface Book 2?
As for the mysterious device corresponding to the empty slot in Microsoft's building 88, speculations are high that the slot might be meant for the Surface Book 2. Over the last few months, rumors have been centered only on the Surface Pro 5, with barely any leaks and speculations concerning Microsoft's homegrown hybrid notebook.
Thus, many Microsoft fans are speculating that the tech giant might be gearing up to release a follow-up to the powerful Surface Book before the year ends. Such a release date for the Surface Book 2 is actually pretty strategic, considering that Apple's revamped 2016 MacBook Pro would also be released sometime in the last quarter of 2016.
What of the Surface Phone?
Just like the Surface Book 2, the mystery device for 2016 might be the Surface Phone, the company's rumored handset and the official successor to the company's failed Microsoft Lumia line. However, many fans are a bit skeptical about the premise of the Surface Phone being announced in 2016, since very few leaks or rumors about the device have emerged over the last few months.
