Microsoft Surface Pro 5 News and Rumors: Unlikely Launch This Year As Microsoft Pushes Surface Pro 4

By Peter R - 02 May '16 15:13PM

The flip-flop of rumors around Microsoft Surface Pro 5 notwithstanding, it is unlikely that Microsoft would release a new hybrid this year.

An impending launch of Surface Pro 5 has been attributed to cuts on Surface Pro 3 and Surface Pro 4 price. Microsoft reportedly slashed off around $ 200 on Surface Pro 3 while discounts in the range of $ 150 were announced earlier on Surface Pro 4. Price reduction is indeed harbinger of new releases. However, Surface Pro 5 release does not look imminent for several reasons.

For starters, the next hybrid of Microsoft is expected to be powered by Intel's next generation processors, codenamed Kaby Lake. Since Kaby Lake is not expected to be unveiled until late 2016, a new release from Microsoft is unlikely this year. A new release powered by existing Intel Skylake processors would at best seem like an upgrade to existing device.

Since Microsoft has rolled out Windows 10 updates for all its Surface devices, a major upgrade Windows upgrade would be required to power new generation of devices. The Windows Redstone upgrade is expected to be released in June but sources familiar with the company's operations said Microsoft is not planning to launch new devices with Windows 10 Redstone.

Other reasons for Microsoft not releasing the Surface Pro 5 is the effort being put to make Surface Pro 4 a hit. Just over six months old, the Surface Pro 4 is ahead of the pack in hardware terms. However, glitches in software have dented expectations. Microsoft recently released a massive update for the device.

Inquisitr reports that early buyers of Surface Pro 4 suffered heavy battery leakage when their devices were placed in Sleep. Many also reported problems with trackpad and video issues which were attributed to Skylake. Microsoft earned criticism for adopting the processors without working out the issues.

"It looks like Microsoft finally got its drivers to work with the Skylake processor, Nvidia video chip, and various Intel components. It took nine versions of the drivers and firmware -- Oct. 23, 2015; Nov. 2; Nov. 18; Dec. 2; Dec. 17; Jan. 27, 2016; Feb. 17; Mar. 15; and Apr. 19 -- but the April 19 versions seems to have done the trick," an Infoworld report reads.

Given the commitment to make Surface Pro 4 a mass hit, it seems unlikely Microsoft will release a new device that can cannibalize sales of an existing device.