Microsoft Surface Pro 5 Release Date, Specs and More: All You Need To Know

Jul 07, 2016 06:06 AM EDT

The inevitable cycle of upgrades continue with Microsoft's Surface Pro range. The current top dog would be the Microsoft Surface Pro 4, but what about its successor, which will be aptly known as the Microsoft Surface Pro 5? Earlier this year, we brought you word on the possible October 2016 launch of the Surface Pro 5, and now that we are edging closer to that date, what are the latest rumors and details that have been divulged? Let's dive in!

Word on the street has it that mass production of the Microsoft Surface Pro 5 have been delayed, since Microsoft intends to equip the 2-in-1 hybrid laptop with a new operating software. Does this means that the Windows 10 OS with the Redstone 2 update is not quite ready for a commercial rollout? Hopefully not, but next spring might be the date when the Microsoft Surface Pro 5 is revealed to the world officially.

After all, the new OS update will obviously arrive with better features, which would be something that all users can appreciate. We have also heard that Microsoft will no longer continue production of its upcoming Surface Pro 5 while it waits patiently for Intel's latest Kaby Lake processors to be made available.

It is my firm belief that companies should always do their level best to introduce products to the market that are refined and polished, rather than rolling them out earlier for first mover advantage and yet having to issue software fixes and updates in the weeks and months to follow. The latter option tends to end up with a whole lot more headache than usual, and it more often than not leaves a bad taste in the mouth of consumers.

With the Microsoft Surface Pro 4 ready to make way for its successor, the Surface Pro 5, it looks like Microsoft intends to push as much stock of the Surface Pro 4 as possible among the student fraternity by offering a student-only $300 discount right off the bat -- and the Surface Pro 4 purchase will arrive with a free Xbox One video game console as well. This offer is valid until August 14, and it certainly brings forward the notion that all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy (or Jane a dull girl, since we live in politically correct times). In other words, this latest promotion intends to deliver the Xbox One console to students who find it challenging to balance their finances each month.

If one were to look at the promotion from a different perspective, it would mean that each Surface Pro 4 purchase by students would come with a free Xbox One, not to mention a $300 discount from its retail price. The Surface Pro 4 will then arrive with Windows 10 full edition right out of the box, in addition to a slew of nice features and high-end specifications. The base model, for instance, will have an Intel Core M3 processor running for $899 a pop, while those with more wiggle room financially can always settle for the variant that runs on an Intel Core i7 processor for $1,599 apiece.

Not only that, Microsoft is also touted to discontinue production of its Surface Pro 3 units by the end of 2016, which is a move that makes sense since you would not want too many generations of a particular device being on the market at once.