Details Of Microsoft Surface Pro 5 With Kaby Lake Emerge Suggesting Spring 2017 Launch

Microsoft’s Surface Pro 4 is long due for an upgrade -- while the current convertible is still a potent beast, it was originally released back in October 2015. A new report, however, suggests that we may have to wait a few more months for the Surface Pro 5, which will reportedly debut in Spring 2017.

When the Surface Pro 5 launches, it will sport Intel’s latest Kaby Lake processors, which is to be expected. The source for this information, The BitBag, says that the Surface Pro 5 will come paired with up to 16GB of RAM and a “massive” 512GB SSD. We question the excitement over the 512GB SSD, as the current generation Surface Pro 4 is already available with 512GB and 1TB SSDs, and up to 16GB of memory.

Surface Pro 4
Microsoft Surface Pro 4

Other features said to be on tap include USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 connectivity, which is pretty much a given for a modern convertible. It’s also reported that the Surface Pen will ditch replaceable batteries in favor of an integrated battery that can recharge via the Surface Pro 5's magnetic docking connector. If that wasn’t enough, the Surface Pro 5 is also said to incorporate through-the-display fingerprint reading technology for added security.

Right now, we’d take these specs with a healthy dose of salt, but they aren’t out of line with what we’d expect from a Surface Pro 5 convertible.

The current Surface Pro 4 starts at $899 and includes an Intel Core m3 processor, 4GB RAM, and a 128GB SSD. The range-topping model comes with a 2.2GHz Core i7 processor, 16GB RAM and a 1TB SSD. All Surface Pro 4 tablets come with a 12.3-inch PixelSense 3:2 ratio display with a resolution of 2736 x 1824.