Microsoft Surface Pro 5 To Get Major Storage and Battery Upgrade

Dec 06, 2016 08:10 AM EST

Despite the popularity of the 2-in-1 Microsoft Surface Pro 4, Microsoft decided to not launch a follow-up device this year. Though it has launched a Surface Studio. The upcoming Surface Book 2 is supposed to compete against Apple's new MacBook Pro. But the Surface Pro 5 will likely be a better comparison. The tech company is set to release the new Surface Pro next year with a major storage and battery upgrade.

According to BGR, the new Surface Pro will be powered by the next-gen Intel Kaby Lake processors. Aside from an improvement in its performance, the device will have more storage and RAM. Microsoft will be rolling out a 2-in-1 Surface Pro 5 with a whopping 512GB of storage. Its Surface Pen stylus will be capable of wireless charging via the magnetic dock. It is a change from the previous Surface Pen that has a replaceable battery.

Other specs upgrades include support for Thunderbolt 3 and USB Type-C ports. It is said to include a microSD slot, as well as a 3.5 mm audio jack. The Surface Pro 5 will probably have a better display and a fingerprint sensor. Furthermore, the hybrid device should run on Microsoft's other major update on Windows 10, the Redstone 3 out of the box, according to Bitbag. It is expected to have a 2K display with a 3860 x 2560 resolution. The bigger battery should be able to make it last around seven hours of use, according to Telegiz.

Unless the Surface Book 2 will be as powerful as the Surface Pro 5, the 2-in-1 will be a better choice for those who are not a fan of the new MacBook Pro. The price is expected to be about $2,000. It will be a lot expensive than the Surface Pro 4 that costs $899.

Microsoft is yet to announce more details about the Surface Pro 5. The new device should hit the market in Spring 2017. It might be launched alongside the Surface Phone and Surface Book 2. Though other reports suggest that it will be unveiled at the Mobile World Congress 2017 event.

It should be noted that the 2017 date is not the initial planned release. Apparently, Microsoft was waiting for the Intel Kaby Lake processors. However, the next-gen Intel processor will not be available by December. The Surface Pro 4 is only powered by an Intel i7 processor. The Surface Pro 5 will surpass that. Hence, expect a more powerful device for Windows 10 users.