You may suspect that Surface Pro 2017 is as close as we can ever get to the Surface Pro 5, but if Microsoft is something that can happen, I would be completely wrong.
From now on, there is no Surface Pro 5, as Microsoft Surface's boss, Panos Panay, confirmed last May, although he says that there will be significant changes again in the Microsoft hardware design laboratory.
More precisely, he stated that while there is no such thing as [Surface] Pro 5 – at this time, there will be when the time is right. When Microsoft can radically improve the dynamics of its successful Surface Pro 4, it is not too far-fetched to assume that we will see a name change beyond the elimination of a numerical value.
And, like Windows 10 Redstone 4, the Spring Creators update, or whatever Microsoft calls it, may arrive in the coming weeks, we might see the announcement of the Surface Pro device in the near future.
Just as the Surface Pro 2017 came up in June 2017, the next Surface Pro, whether it's the 5, Surface Pro 2018, or whatever, is likely to be only a couple of months away at this time. And, although the new and improved Surface Pro of 2017 brought us a better battery life and Surface Pen capable of 4,096 levels of sensitivity to pressure, it was not enough to justify calling it Surface Pro 5, which makes us wonder what is enough . We're going to go into that.
Cut to the hunt
- What is it? The alleged fifth Surface Pro tablet
- When will it come out? Spring 2018 at the earliest
- How much will it cost? Probably as much as – if not more – the current model
Release date of Surface Pro 5
Two years ago, we were convinced that we would see Surface Pro 5 last year, a prophecy that was not exactly fulfilled when we saw another Surface Pro in May 2017. As many rumors came to our offices at that time, you would have expected a full continuation of Surface Pro 4, but instead what we received was more update.
At a Microsoft event that took place in Shanghai, China, Surface Pro was presented to the entire world, although its improvements were not as revolutionary as we had anticipated before. In other words, the momentum of the specifications was good, but not as good as it would have been to get a pair of Thunderbolt 3 ports or two for external graphics. As such, we are convinced that Surface Pro 5 is still on the way.
Especially since Windows 10 has finally unseated Windows 7 as Microsoft's most popular desktop operating system, it is crucial for Redmond to present a list containing only the latest and best software. We would suspect that, since the main updates of Redstone 4 and 5 are being tested simultaneously, we will begin to hear more rumors about the release date of Surface Pro 5.
Until then, here is a look at the initial Surface Pro story release dates:
- Surface Pro: February 9, 2013
- Surface Pro 2: October 22, 2013
- Surface Pro 3: June 20, 2014
- ] Surface Pro 4: October 26, 2015
- Surface Pro (2017): June 15, 2017
We doubt that Surface Pro 5 looks terribly different from the previous surface
Price of Pro 5
Historically, the Surface price rarely fluctuates with each new variation. At the Shanghai event on May 23, it was revealed that Surface Pro was priced at $ 799 in the US. UU Or £ 799 in the United Kingdom (around AU $ 1,380) for the basic model.
If the Surface Pro 5 is in fact, the Surface Pro, we now know with certainty what the price will be. But, if the Surface Pro 5 is the potential successor of the Surface Pro, then maybe we can expect a higher price.
While it would not be ideal for Microsoft's loyal followers if the company deviated too far from the norm, ambitious updates may require it to do so. For the price of the next Surface Pro to differ from its predecessors, it should offer some serious advantages over its next generation brother, not just an increase in routine specifications.
Should Surface Pro 5? The team takes any track of the Surface Book 2, it is possible that the next Microsoft tablet comes in two different screen size variants, at two different start prices. Considering that Apple offers an iPad Pro of 10.5 and 12.9 inches, it would make sense for the Surface Pro 5 to get along with the program and introduce a smaller option as well.
Image credit: Patently Mobile
Surface Pro 5 specifications
As it stands now, the Surface Pro has some important things to do when it comes to specifications. Just two months after its launch, Intel announced its eighth generation of Ultrabook processors, which are quad-core at the most affordable level.
The Surface Pro 2017, however, only has a dual-core, seventh-generation Intel processor, regardless of the amount of money thrown at it. Then, when a Surface Pro 5 arrives, we would realistically like to see an Intel Core i5-8250U to start with more expensive editions that allow an Intel Core i7-8550U. But now that Intel has announced a wide range of CPUs from the U-Series of Coffee Lake, we would prefer to see Surface Pro 5 reach the current CPU generation.
Although we would like to see the death of the Core m3 Surface Pro basic, it is unlikely to take place with the Surface Pro, especially considering that the other Microsoft Surface devices have recently started to adopt it. the first time.
Port-wise, for the time being, the proprietary Surface Connect charger is here to stay, which means that the most recent Surface Pro – and presumably the Surface Pro 5- does not use the USB Type-C to charge or transfer of data. That said, this will surely change since Surface Book 2 offers native support for USB-C.
Surface Pro 5 Design
Prior to its announcement, a leak posted by VentureBeat showed a number of press releases claiming to be the successor of Surface Pro 4. As a re
sult, that was only half true. These designs ended up representing the Surface Pro instead of a true Surface Pro 5.
Those who expected an intense renewal of the appearance of the Surface Pro 4 will certainly provoke a rude awakening. However, for those of us who love the current aspect of SP4 and only care about performance refinements, this will work perfectly.
Those who expected an intense renewal of the Surface Pro 4 appearance will surely bring a rude awakening. However, for those of us who love the current aspect of SP4 and only care about performance refinements, we will do well.
Stylus and Marker Surface Pro 5
One can not help wondering how Microsoft will improve. Surface Pen this time. A next-generation Surface Pen is an idea that we have contemplated for quite some time, but it was not until Microsoft patented touch feedback technology for Surface Pen that we could see a clearer picture of what's to come.
Not disclosed Too many monotonous details, the patents suggest a stylus whose tip retracts when pressed against a flat surface, like a screen per se. From there, a coil will be compacted and subsequently vibrate from inside the Pen's chassis. It's an idea that Apple has been playing with for years, but it still needs to be integrated into its existing stylus. As such, it is now more evident than ever that Microsoft wants to beat its Cupertino rival.
Another Surface Pen patent describes a retention clip that can emulate the scroll functions of a wheel mouse, which perhaps indicates that the Surface Pro 5 will not need a mouse (or a trackpad) at all. This would be useful for those users who want the creative benefits of the Surface Pen, but would prefer not to disburse the cash for a physical keyboard.
Of course, Microsoft also has the surface dial at its close. The designer-centered accessory, similar to the disc, was mentioned briefly in a slide show in December, with ZDNet collecting the slides for use in a story. The company claims that peripherals such as Dial, portable devices, headphones and more are essential factors for what is perceived as the "modern PC".
The incorporation of "hero functions", such as Cortana and Windows Hello, was also mentioned, and although a fingerprint scanner did not reach the new Surface Pro itself, there is an optional cover that includes this functionality. With that in mind, we can assume that, if a Surface Pro 5 is announced, it will also support fingerprint recognition.
Panos Panay from Microsoft that reveals the Surface Pro 3 in May 2014
What we want to see
As much as we have been impressed by the Surface Pro 4 and its follow-up, the errors of Hibernation aside, there will always be room for improvement. (That would be the case even if we had won our Editor's Choice award.) From the size and resolution of the screen to the hardware inside, we have some ideas on how Microsoft could design a Windows tablet. 10 even better.
Longer battery life
This is some easy-to-reach fruit, but countless customers have lamented the battery life of the Surface Pro 4, regardless of the problems with its "Sleep" mode. We evaluated the device for five hours and 15 minutes of local video playback.
That's way below the promise of nine hours of video playback from Microsoft, a benchmark that even the Surface Pro 2017 could not achieve in our review (our test resulted in 6 hours and 58 minutes of playback of video). Our video playback figure is in line with the average laptop, although it is far from what your nemesis, the MacBook, can achieve.
Ideally, and realistically, we'd like to see at least seven hours of battery life reliably from the next Surface Pro tablet. That would bring it closer to MacBooks and competing tablets, such as the iPad Pro. Surely You will need as many milliamp hours in the lithium-ion battery of the Surface Pro 5 as you can.
That said, if the Surface Pro 5 could accumulate close to the suggested battery life of the 17-hour Surface 2 manufacturer, you will not find complaints from us. Come on, Microsoft, we know you've thought about it.
Can the screen be sharpened? Why yes, you can
An even sharper (and / or bigger) screen
With Surface Pro 4 and the subsequent Surface Pro, Microsoft managed to outnumber countless rivals on both the laptop and the tablet space when it comes to resolution screen. With 267 ppi (pixels per inch) sharp as a razor at 2,736 x 1,824 pixels on a 12.3-inch screen, it's not as if the Surface Pro 5 had to be much sharper.
However, if the next Surface Pro were equipped, for example, with a 4K screen (at least 3,840 pixels wide), it would tear apart its productivity and entertainment capabilities wide. Film and photo editors could work with the native resolution that is increasingly becoming the norm, while Joe's media (teehee) could finally see Netflix in 4K on a tablet.
That said, the scope of super sharp resolutions could be reserved for the book range area at this point. So why not raise its size a little?
The Surface Pro 4 is large enough for almost all tasks, but it is not yet the default size set for most laptops: 13.3 inches. On the other hand, doing so may damage the Microsoft market by denying the need for the Surface Book 2.
On the other hand, maybe the iPad Pro is on something with its 12.9-inch screen. After all, we're not asking for a gigantic tablet the size of a monster, just a slight increase in size. Assuming that the resolution does not increase too much along with an increase in size, the extra space could allow an increase in battery life.
Now, imagine if the next surface was swung USB-C
It might finally be USB-C time
At this point, no Windows device is complete without deploying USB Type -C, the reversible and versatile port that can deliver power, audio and video while transferring data at speeds up to 40Gbps. Traditional USB ports will no longer be cut, at least by themselves, so Surface Pro 5 needs to comply with the times.
As the Surface Book 2 gradually breaks through to enthusiastic consumers, Microsoft may begin to realize the potential of its USB Type-C port. The current Surface Pro requires a dongle for USB-C connections in the present, a phrase that those who are familiar with the criticism of the new port standard will laugh at.
At the same time, Microsoft may want to include a standard USB 3.0 port, too, to natively meet the system requirements for its own Windows mixed reality headsets. If the company wants to lead the package in the business of affordable virtual reality solutions, there is no need to make the Surface Pro 5 compatible.
If you think it will be called Surface Pro 5, the next iteration of the Microsoft Surface Pro tablet It is a difficult concept to achieve. If it exists, we applaud Microsoft for how well it is hiding its next hardware. However, we are sure that we will see some type of new Surface product later this spring, either in Build 2018 or otherwise.
Gabe Carey has also contributed to this article