There is little chance of the Surface Pro 5 release date happening this 2016 and the same likely applies for the rumored Surface Book 2. The earliest that these devices will come out is July 2017 but Microsoft is reportedly planning to launch a new breed of Surface machines that will run on Windows 10, which will be in all-in-one or AIO form factor.
The latest rumors from Asia suggest that the current Surface mobile devices will not be refreshed this 2016. According to DigiTimes, the upgrades - rumored as the Surface Pro 5, Surface Book 2 and possibly the Surface Phone - will have to wait until the second half of 2017. And Surface fans can blame the delayed mass availability of Intel's next-generation Kaby Lake chip.
Reports said the sequel to Intel Skylake will be ready for wholesale production until late this year or early 2017 but Microsoft is willing to wait. So the rollout date for the next-generation Surface devices has been pushed back, which also aligns with earlier reports that the gadgets will hit the market following the jump of Windows 10 to Redstone 2.
But there will be a machine to showcase the new features that Microsoft will deploy with Windows 10 Anniversary Update, which the tech giant said will go live beginning August 2. It remains part of the Surface line but boasting of a compact desktop setting or AIO.
It's obvious that with the Surface AIO, Microsoft is opening a new front on its ongoing effort to reclaim the top of the global PC market. In the Windows environment, the Surface AIO will tussle with the likes of Sony and HP but the current leader is Chinese device maker Lenovo.
Surface AIO is reportedly designed too to make a dent on a market dominated by Apple. "Apple is, of course, the most famous maker of an AIO with its ever-popular iMac. ... The company has already attempted challenging Apple in the notebook and tablet PC market. This does seems like a possible next step," Redmond Pie reported.
Likewise, Microsoft is said to revive the overall PC market with the fresh addition to the Surface brand. "The launch of the Surface AIO PC is believed to have a strong impact on the global AIO PC market, which has been diminishing amid declining demand for PC products," DigiTimes reported.
So with the Surface Pro 5 and Surface Book 2 practically moved to 2017, the release date to watch for is that of the Surface AIO, which DigiTimes said will happen between July and September 2016 or following the worldwide deployment of Windows 10 Anniversary Update.