The Surface Pro 5 and Surface Book 2 coming out as early as June 2016 will greatly depend on the Windows 10 Anniversary Update rollout, which Microsoft said is certainly set around summertime. However, an earlier release date might just happen but for the Surface 4 and according to a new report, the non-Pro hybrid device could appear this April.
CNET said that the Surface 3 came out in the same month last year so there is a possibility that a refresh is on the way anytime. However, the same report did not speculate on specs and features though the expectation is it will be powered by Windows 10 with the hardware specs a bit of step back compared to the upcoming Pro line.
And speaking of which, rumors continue to fly that the 2-in-1s Pro 5 and Book 2 will be the showcase devices for the Windows 10 upcoming update, convincing many that Microsoft will deploy the OS update with the Surface Pro refreshes, and June could be the appointed D-Day. There was a precedent as the Surface Pro 3 debuted in the same month in 2014.
But CNET is more inclined to believe the recent information shared by known Microsoft insider Mary Jo Foley - that a Surface Pro refresh is not happening this 2016 and the same goes for the Surface Book. Foley said, citing unnamed sources, that an early 2017 release is more likely for both devices and because of two compelling reasons.
One is the arrival of Windows 10 Redstone 2 Update that will not be ready until the early months of 2017. It makes sense, Foley said, that Microsoft would want to time the Pro 5 and Book 2 releases with the Redstone 2 deployment to best showcase the software's enhanced features and capabilities.
Then the chance is high that both devices will wait for the mass availability of Intel's next-generation processing chip, codenamed Kaby Lake, as reports claim that the upcoming architecture is better optimized for high-octane mobile device use that the Pro 5 and Book 2 are designed for. Again coming from Foley, Kaby Lake will not be commercially ready until late 2016 or early 2017 so the new Surface hybrid machines coming out next year seems to gain more traction.
As for the possible feature upgrades, the Pro 5 and Book 2 are expected to both support a new Surface Pen that has identical functions with the Apple Pen, a microSD slot and USB Type-C port. On release date, the Surface Pro 5 will reportedly have a starting price of $899 while Microsoft is seen to sell the Surface Book 2 with the same introductory price of its predecessor, which is around $1250.