Microsoft released the Surface Pro 4 in October 2015, and although the product is still quite new, there has been plenty of speculation about the release of the Surface Pro 5. Part of the anticipation stems from the fact that although the Surface Pro 4 was much awaited by fans and users, it led to a lot of disappointment from many aspects.
We have put together a list of hopes as well as expectations that Microsoft’s Surface Pro 5 is probably set to bring during its release. Some of these are based on what didn’t work for the Surface Pro 4 while others are based on the news and rumors that have been heard about the upcoming tablet.
Price and Release Date
Most new technology releases follow the same pricing patterns as their predecessors and do not skew from it unless they provide major hardware improvements in next-gen models.
We expect the Surface Pro 5 to cost much the same as the Surface Pro 4, where the base model should be available for a price of approximately $899.
An article first seen on Release Date Portal pointed out that we could expect to see the new Surface Pro 5 anytime between June and October 2016. When the Surface Pro 3 was released in 2014, it was announced in May and made available in June. The Surface Pro 4 rolled out the following year in October.
Now unless Microsoft significantly speeds up its product cycle, you may not see the Pro 5 until October, especially considering Redmond has not even announced it yet.
Specifications and Features
Battery life is one regard that the series should definitely undergo major enhancement. The Surface Pro 4 promised an average battery cycle of 9 hours, whereas it offered 5 and half hours of battery when actually used.
We also hope the see the Pro 5 launched lighter than its predecessor’s weight (798 grams), considering competitors’ offerings are almost 70 grams lighter.
Another element that Microsoft will hopefully address is the constant hum emitted by the cooling fans in both the Surface Pro 3 and Surface Pro 4, making the newest launch as noiseless as possible.
Microsoft should add a fingerprint scanner on the Surface Pro 5. While it was sold as an add-on accessory with the Surface Pro 4, most other tablets come along with an onboard sensor for added security.
Furthermore, considering Surface Pro 5’s price, it only makes all that much sense to have it thrown into the bundle.
Recent reports have uncovered a patent filed by Microsoft for the development of a rechargeable battery system, believed to be the improvement you may see in their stylus. Upgrading its stylus with rechargeable addition may be one method of Microsoft beating Cupertino’s Apple Pencil.
You may even see a USB Type-C port or two on the new device, which will essentially support handy charging of the stylus, like with the Apple Pencil through the lightning port.