Microsoft's highly-anticipated hybrid 2-in-1 tablet device, Surface Pro 5, may not arrive this year due to unconfirmed reports that the company is waiting for the Intel Kaby Lake processors and Windows 10 Redstone 2 update.
Previously, the 2-in-1 hybrid tablet is said to come out sometime in spring 2017 with the Intel's Kaby Lake processor in its chassis. Intel's Navin Shenoy also confirmed on a statement the induction of the Kaby Lake processor, the first to use its new three-phase development process and based on an optimised Skylake microarchitecture.
"Two new products will be coming from Intel later this year. Apollo Lake for the value and entry-level PC, 2-in-1, and tablet, and the 7th Generation Core, formally codenamed Kaby Lake, will be coming later this year. We have over 400 designs coming to market on the Seventh Gen Core, and you can expect lots of innovations from our OEM partners bringing this product to market," said Intel's Navin Shenoy during the company's Computex keynote speech.
However, the Kaby Lake processor will not be ready until the end of this year, and therefore, it cannot be shipped to the Surface team until then. Given Microsoft's history with Surface Pro launches, it wouldn't be out of character for Redmond to push back the hardware a few months, allotting time for itself to get comfortable with the Kaby Lake architecture, TechRadar reported.
Aside from the confirmation to Kaby Lake's inclusion to the Surface 5's specs, GameNGuide reported that the device is also rumored to release alongside Microsoft's next major Windows 10 update. It is inevitable for the tablet to come with the updated operating system fresh from the box.
As for its specs and features, a Surface Pen stylus accessory may be included and bundled with the tablet. This addition could be the tech giant's move to compete against Apple's iPad Pro, which supports their well-reviewed Apple pen.
On a patent filed by Microsoft, the stylus pen is powered by a magnetic charging dock built to give the pen its maneuvering ability, seemingly with connectors meant for a Surface Dock mounting. It is also expected to have a rechargeable battery via the lightning port.
Seen as a formidable contender against Apple's MacBook Pro and iPad Pro lineup, Microsoft's highly-anticipated 2-in-1 tablet-laptop is expected to be released in an event in October, together with the revamped Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book.
