Microsoft smartphone (Photo : Retuers)
Microsoft has reportedly scheduled the Surface Pro 5 release date not this 2016 but in 2017, likely by springtime next year. But prior to that unboxing, which supposedly will also include the Surface Book 2, the tech giant will first introduce two editions of the Windows 10 Mobile-powered Surface Phone, a new report said.
Tech blog site MobiPicker reported, citing rumors it gathered from China's microblogging site Weibo, that the Surface Phone will be the first to rollout among the planned Surface family of devices for next year. Possibly anytime between January and February 2017, two Surface Phones from Microsoft will come out, the report said, which aligns with earlier claims that the software giant has discontinued the Lumia line of smartphones in favor of the new brand.
The Surface mobile phones, which are touted to function as portable desktops thanks to Window 10 Continuum feature, will be powered by Qualcomm's next-generation Snapdragon 830. SD 830 is also believed as the power beneath the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 6 (or Note 7), which is rumored jammed with desktop-class feature upgrades.
As the Surface Phone will land in two key flavors, the same report indicated that RAM support starts at 3GB with the likelihood of 6GB RAM (or up to 8GB) for the top-tier model. The basic memory is set 32GB but MobiPicker noted that Weibo chatters seem to suggest of 128GB and 256GB configurations, adding that the Surface Phones having such capacious storage space is highly likely.
Starting price of the Surface Phone is reportedly set at $900+, which MobiPicker said is a price level in line with prevailing rumors.
And with the Surface devices unveiling set for 2017, it's only logical that the Surface Pro 5 and Surface Book 2 will come out next year. In a related report, MobiPicker said that it's likely Spring 2017 revelation for the upcoming Windows 10 hybrid devices.
Pointing to a recent statement made by Microsoft Surface division head Panos Panay, the same report said that the 2-in-1 devices' release date will be delayed for two chief reasons. One is that Microsoft would want to complete first the Windows 10 Redstone 2 update rollout and essentially make the Pro 5 and Book 2 as showcases devices of the upgraded OS.
"Also, the reason why the devices are being delayed is because Microsoft wants to use Intel's next-gen Kaby Lake processors made with the 14nm process for greater performance," the report claimed, somehow echoing a similar rumor on the subject.
So basing on the details provided so far, the earliest that the Microsoft Surface Pro 5 and Surface Book 2 release date is late March 2017 or at the start of Spring season in the United States with the Surface Phone touching down earlier.
