Everything you need to know about tomorrow's event

Oct 5, 2015 13:37 GMT  ·  By

Microsoft will be holding a new event to introduce its brand-new Windows 10 devices tomorrow and the company's expected to unveil the best it has to offer in the hardware industry right now, including wearables, tablets, and phones running the latest version of its operating system.

It will certainly be an exciting moment for the Redmond-based tech giant and its fans across the globe, so here you can find pretty much everything you need to know about what to expect, starting hours and how to watch it.

The event will take place in New York City and will be invite-only, so Microsoft will do the same as before and allow the press to see and experience its new devices first. The event will, however, be streamed online, so the millions of fans across the world can watch Satya Nadella and the other executives presenting all these devices for the very first time.

So without further ado, let's find out when the event kicks off across the world.

Starting hours

Microsoft will kick off the event on October 6 at 10 AM ET / 7 AM PT. Depending on your time zone, it could be too early or too late, but here's the starting hour for some of the biggest cities across the world:  

London, UK 15:00
New York, US 10:00
Moscow, Russia 17:00
Berlin, Germany 16:00
Beijing, China 22:00
Tokyo, Japan 23:00
Barcelona, Spain 16:00
New Delhi, India 19:30
Milan, Italy 16:00
Ottawa, Canada 10:00
Wellington, New Zealand 03:00
Sydney, Australia 01:00, October 7
Indonesia, Jakarta 21:00
Seoul, South Korea 23:00
Bucharest, Romania 17:00

Expected announcements

As mentioned, Microsoft calls this event #Windows10Devices, so the whole conference will be about tablets, smartphones, and wearables that are part of the company's short-term strategy. Obviously, Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile will also be part of the show, but only because they run on the devices to be announced tomorrow, so Microsoft won't be holding a keynote to discuss about the OS – most of us run it already anyway.

Lumia 950/950 XL

Microsoft is expected to take the wraps off the new high-end Lumias, namely the 950 and 950 XL, which will both be running Windows 10 Mobile and come with absolutely the best the company has to offer right now in the mobile industry.

Lumia 950 will come in the form of a 5.2-inch phone, while the XL will step in the phablet room with a 5.7-inch display. Both will come with Snapdragon processors, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage and a microSD card for even more, as well 20MP cameras on the back with Zeiss optics.

Lumia 950 XL is Microsoft's new phablet with 5.7-inch screen
Lumia 950 XL is Microsoft's new phablet with 5.7-inch screen

The new Lumias will be the first to support Continuum, Microsoft's new feature that will allow a phone to become a fully-featured PC with a simple adapter. The adapter itself will also be presented at the event and so will be some other accessories supposed to help customers make the most of the overhauled Lumia lineup.

Windows 10 Mobile could also get a brief presentation given the fact that it'll be running on both new Lumias, but don't expect the company to release it to users tomorrow. It might reveal a launch date (something very vague such as early November), but specifics are very unlikely given the fact that the Windows team is still working on the mobile OS and bugs could push it back a little.

Here are the specs of the new Lumias:  

Lumia 950 Lumia 950 XL
Display 5.2-inch WQHD (1440×2560) OLED 5.7-inch WQHD (1440×2560) OLED
CPU Snapdragon 808, 64-bit Hexa-core Snapdragon 810, 64-bit Octa core
RAM 3GB 3GB
Storage 32GB of internal storage with a microSD card slot 32GB of internal storage with a microSD card slot
Rear camera 20MP PureView rear camera 20MP PureView rear camera
Front camera 5MP Wide-angle front facing camera 5MP Wide-angle front facing camera
Battery 3000 mAh removable battery 3300 mAh removable battery
Charging USB Type-C, Qi wireless charging with flip cover USB Type-C, Qi wireless charger integrated
OS Windows 10 Mobile Windows 10 Mobile
Colors Matte White, black, blue Matte White, black, blue
Others Iris scanner for Windows Hello, polycarbonate body Iris scanner for Windows Hello, polycarbonate body

Surface Pro 4

Microsoft launched the Surface Pro 3 in May 2014 and now, one year and a half after its debut, the company is finally ready to present its successor.

The Surface Pro 4 will follow the same approach as the previous model and will come to tackle the premium 2-in-1 market. There are no confirmed details, teasers, or anything like that for the Surface Pro 4, but it's believed that the device will come in two different flavors, as it follows:

12-inch tablet

The “standard” Surface Pro 4 is very likely to feature a design similar to the Surface Pro 3 and come with a built-in kickstand, a removable keyboard, and a 12-inch screen.

The device would run Windows 10 and would feature an improved Surface Pen – Microsoft has already confirmed its commitment to make the stylus better in the future, so what better moment to present a new version than the debut of the tablet it's supposed to be used with?

Microsoft is also very likely to reveal improvements to the keyboard, but also to the display. The Surface Pro 4 will feature the best screen in the whole Surface lineup, and Microsoft could also go for a 4K display.

Microsoft Surface 3 and Surface Pro 3, its top tablets right now
Microsoft Surface 3 and Surface Pro 3, its top tablets right now

Overall, the device might be lighter and thinner than the previous models, but it is something to be expected since this is the direction everyone is going these days.

The 12-inch Surface will ship with Intel's Skylake line of processors and very powerful hardware, such as 8 or even 16 GB of RAM and up to 1 TB of storage space (512 GB is already available on the current model).

14-inch laptop

In addition to the regular Surface Pro 4, Microsoft could also announce a 14-inch version that might hit the market as the Surface Laptop (although the company could go for a completely different name).

Details are missing for the moment, but given the fact that it'll be a premium device, expect it to ship with powerful processors and lots of storage space, but also with accessories that would make it truly powerful for Apple's MacBooks. The device could ship with a built-in camera for Windows Hello, but also with a new keyboard and trackpad.

Microsoft Band 2

Another device that's expected to take the stage tomorrow is the smart wristband called Band. The second generation is finally ready and Microsoft will unveil it during the same event.

Specifications aren't yet available, but previous leaks have shown that Microsoft might be aiming towards a curved display, which would be a huge improvements in terms of comfort. The current Band comes with a straight display, which makes it uncomfortable when being used for several hours.

As far as specs are concerned, pundits say the Band 2 will come packed with sensors, but this is no surprise, since the first generation already excelled in this regard. Some new features, including new bands, could also be announced, but overall, premium materials will be used almost everywhere.

The Band 2 could be launched from the very beginning internationally, as the first generation was initially released only in the United States in limited numbers.

This is the first-generation Microsoft Band
This is the first-generation Microsoft Band

Other devices

Word has it that Microsoft could also present some other devices at tomorrow's event, including the affordable Lumia 550, but this is very unlikely given the fact that the company wants to keep this moment only for high-end products such as the ones before.

More affordable devices are indeed coming, but they will probably be launched at a later time. More Lumia models, for example, are likely to debut later this year, but without such a huge unveiling conference.

A new Treasure Tag with a fresh design and more features could also be announced

Where to watch

As mentioned, Microsoft will hold the event live for a limited number of journalists, but fans from all over the world will be allowed to watch it online here.

The streaming hasn't yet started, but this is the page to bookmark if you want to watch all product launches online. A typical browser should be all you need to watch the live streaming and if you're already on Windows 10, Microsoft Edge should be just fine.

Additionally, you should be able to watch it on your mobile device too using of the many video players in the stores. VLC is all you need, of course.

Photo Gallery (4 Images)

The event will kick off tomorrow at 7 AM PT
This is the first-generation Microsoft BandLumia 950 XL is Microsoft's new phablet with 5.7-inch screen
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