Microsoft Surface Pro 5 Will Launch First March 2017 Prior to Surface Phone Release Date Later in the Year?

Microsoft will reportedly introduce the Surface Pro 5 February next year and likely will use the MWC 2017 in Barcelona for the unveiling. The release date is expected to immediately follow in March or right after the scheduled Windows 10 Creators Update rollout in the same month, new report said.

Reports coming from Asia, courtesy of DigiTimes, indicate that "Microsoft is planning to launch its new Surface Pro 5 2-in-1 in the first quarter of 2017 ... with Pegatron Technology to manufacture the device." The report added that Microsoft intends to also tap Quanta Computer in the mass production of the SP5 but it is Pegatron that will get the bulk of the order.

According to the Taiwanese publication, the sequel to the Surface Pro 4 will boast of an Ultra HD display and the Surface Pen stylus with magnetic charging capability.

Picking up on the report, WCCFTech said the Surface Pro 5 will unbox with 4K display resolution but with Intel Kaby Lake powering the device it is pretty much assured of longer operating hours compared to the previous iterations.

The SP5 is also likely to hit the market in different flavors with the Core i5 and i7 to serve as the mid-range and flagship models, respectively. The base model or the cheapest option will likely count on the Core M Kaby Lake processing chip as the main engine, the report added.

WCCFTech is likewise convinced that Microsoft will skip using AMD or NVIDIA GPU with the Surface Pro 5 "since a thin tablet like that will neither possess the thickness nor the proper dissipation method to get rid of heat being generated." But the device will have Type-C USB ports with Thunderbolt 3 support for superfast data transfer and quick charging, the report said.

As for the pricing, Microsoft's in-house hybrid device is expected to compete with OEMs so the likelihood is the sticker price will be in the competitive level or slightly lower from the competition.

As mentioned, it will be a Q1 2017 debut for the Surface Pro 5 so it makes sense that Microsoft will reveal the device via the Barcelona MWC trade in February next year, en route to its actual release date possibly by March 2017 or following the arrival of the Windows 10 Creators Update.