14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has recently hinted that a Surface Pro update is just around the corner, and now it looks like the next model is very likely to see daylight at a press conference in Shanghai on May 23.
In an announcement today, Microsoft reveals that it’s holding a new event this month to “show the world what’s next,” with Panos Panay, the man who is responsible for everything Surface, also tweeting about this conference a few hours ago.
Though the Microsoft announcement itself does not include any hints as to what could be launched at the Shanghai event, Panos Panay’s tweet includes the hashtag #Surface, so the company is either planning to showcase and launch the Surface Laptop locally or introduce a new Surface Pro model.
Minor improvements on the new Surface Pro
The chances are that it’s the second scenario, with the Surface Pro 5 debut said to be imminent, according to rumors swirling around the web these days.
And even though this could be the second Surface product launch of the month, do not expect the Pro 5 to be such a big overhaul over the previous model.
There’s a good chance that the Surface Pro 5 is just a hardware upgrade to the existing model, so it might come with Kaby Lake processors, new GPUs, more RAM and storage, and very likely with 4K screens. Furthermore, Microsoft’s corporate vice president calls this new model just an “update” and not a new generation, so the new Surface could be more of a hardware refresh than a new model.
As for the second-generation Surface Book, it’s now expected to go live in the fall, as Microsoft needs more time to complete work on certain features. There’s still no confirmation or at least a hint in this regard, but once the Surface Pro 5 launches, it’s just a matter of time until the new Surface Book goes live too.