Microsoft is hosting a hardware-focused launch event in Shanghai on May 23, i.e next week and we’ve received out very first leaked image set for the upcoming Surface Pro. And while we’ve all been expecting a major refresh in the form of Surface Pro, we are only been handed down an iterative version of the previous Surface Pro 4 model — launched about 18 months ago.
By looking at the images attached below, one cannot point out any differences between the existing Surface Pro 4 (which is getting old with each passing day) and the upcoming Surface Pro (which is a measly excuse for an update with a half-decent name). The leak is surely credible and should not be questioned as they come from well-known leakster and VentureBeat writer Evan Blass, popularly known in the tech community as @evleaks.
The leaked images fall in line with previous rumors and speculations about upgrades coming to the Surface Pro. They suggested that Microsoft was not making many changes to the functional design and ports but an internal spec upgrade was long due. It is expected to be powered by Intel’s latest 7th-gen Kaby Lake processors, coupled with upgraded RAM and internal memory specifications.
This falls in line with the company’s ideology that upcoming Surface hardware products should be backward compatible with power connectors, along with accessories such as docking stations, and Type Covers. However, the prime reason for Microsoft going with a refresh of the Surface Pro 4 tablet and a simplified branding (a move started by several tech giants) has to do with lack of substantial innovation on the hardware front.
In an interview with CNET, Panos Panay, the creator of the Surface brand and the lead of Windows Devices Group had recently said that there is no such thing as the Surface Pro 5. He added that Microsoft will launch the said upgraded device when it has achieved a meaningful change in hardware innovation to make it a new product. Presently, he said — as Apple defended itself for not updating Mac Pro — that people only ask for internal changes, like “Where’s the latest processor?”
Further, the freshest leaks also suggest that Microsoft will also launch the new lineup in four color variant — similar to the recently launched $999 Surface laptop. These include Charcoal. Burgundy, Platinum and Teal color that’ll be adopted by the corresponding Surface pen and keyboard as well. The Surface laptop, for those unaware, if a student-focused product launched earlier this month. It is powered by a simplified version of the operating system called Windows 10 S, supporting just Windows Store apps.
If someone asks me, I’d like to informally term May as Microsoft launch month. The Redmond giant is organizing three events this month to help us get acquainted with its progress on the software and hardware front. We’ve already been through two of them and the next event, which will specifically be a hardware-focused one, is coming up on 23 May in Shanghai. While it is not official, we can also expect Microsoft to lift the veils off more of its AR/VR ‘mixed reality’ headsets and Cortana-powered smart home speakers.
