14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has recently launched the Surface Laptop, and with a new hardware event taking place on May 23, everyone now expects the company to take the wraps off a new device that’s part of the Surface series.
Naturally, most people expect the Surface Pro 4 to be the next model getting an upgrade, and by the looks of things, this is literally what’s going to happen on May 23: Microsoft will not release a new Surface model, but only an upgrade to the existing Surface Pro configuration.
Panos Panay, Microsoft’s executive responsible for everything Surface, said in an interview with CNET that the Surface Pro 4 is here to stay, as it’s still a very capable device, even if most people are already looking at what’s next for this device.
“If people don't want to buy our Pro 4 at this time, that's OK,” Panay was quoted as saying. “What I'm super, super sure of is that the people using a Pro 4 have a product that's going to be competitive for five years.”
The Surface Pro 5 just not ready yet
Speaking about a potential Surface Pro 5, Panos Panay explains the Surface Pro 5 does not exist just yet, though he doesn’t rule out its launch at some point in the future. This most likely means that a Surface Pro 4 refresh is very likely to be unveiled on May 23, and not a new-generation model.
“When it's meaningful and the change is right, we'll put it on market. Meaningful change isn't necessarily a hardware change, which is what a lot of people look for. They're like, ‘Where's the latest processor?’ That's not what I mean. I'm looking for an experiential change that makes a huge difference in product line,” Panay explained.
“You'll see that same meaningful impact when Pro 5, or Pro Next hits the market. There's no such thing as a Pro 5.”
So it’s not all but confirmed: the May 23 event is 99 percent likely to witness the debut of a hardware upgrade for the Surface Pro 4 and not of an entirely new generation. Expect new chips, more storage and RAM, 4K screens, and an improved Surface Pen to be among the headlights.