Microsoft Surface Pro 5 release will reportedly happen next month as more Surface Pro 4 discounts surfaced online.
Discounts on the current model of the device signal the imminent release of its successor. There were whispers that Surface Pro 5 and Surface Book 2 release is happening in June to battle Apple's MacBook Pro 2016.
Except for the entry-level model and Intel Core i3 processor, Microsoft offers $150 Surface Pro 4 discount. The Surface Pro 4 with Intel Core i5 Surface Pro 4 with 4GB of RAM and 128GB costs $849, while the Intel Core i7 model with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage costs $1,649.
Microsoft also extends the same discount to the two Surface Book models, including the Core i5 option with 128GB of storage and the Core i5 model with 256GB of storage. The discount is part of the company's Memorial Day sale this weekend.
Electronics retailer Best Buy offers the same discount as Microsoft and allows consumers to save up to $150. Online retailer giant Amazon also offers over $100 discount on various Microsoft Surface Pro 4 model.
Reports claimed that the upcoming Surface Pro 5 laptop-tablet hybrid will be powered by the current Skylake processor; other reports stated that it will be supported by the next generation Kaby Kale chipset, which is the 14nm successor of Skylake. This processor also has a native support for USB 3.1 and new graphics architecture that will further improve the performance of the system.
Aside from a more powerful processor, Microsoft Surface Pro 5 will also include the same screen size, but the resolution will be upgraded to 4K pixels, which makes videos and images clearer and sharper. The tablet is also suspected to arrive with magnetic charging dock that possibly charges the phone and stylus. This being said, the stylus pen is predicted to be rechargeable, according to a patent filed by the Redmond-based tech giant.
With all these upgrades, the next generation of Microsoft Surface Pro tablet will be supported by a more powerful battery. The current Surface Pro 4 received flak from consumers because of its insufficient battery life. Surface Pro 4 only boasts five hours with video playback. The new Surface Pro 5 could extend up to seven hours.