Microsoft is prepping an update to its Surface Pro 4, but the company won’t be making any dramatic changes to…<\/b>
\nA few weeks ago, we covered statements from Panos Panay, Microsoft\u2019s VP of Devices, that there was no such thing as a Surface Pro 5, and that the company wouldn\u2019 t build such a device until it could deliver some more significant improvements than just updating the CPU or a few other modest tweaks to battery life. Panay said this meant \u201cthere\u2019s no such thing as a Pro 5\u201d not because MS was giving up on the hardware, but because to deserve the name, the platform would need to deliver more fundamental advances.
We now know that Microsoft does have a Surface Pro refresh in the works, and like Panay said, it\u2019s not a \u201cPro 5.\u201d In fact, it\u2019s just a \u201cSurface Pro.\u201d Microsoft seems to be moving away from any concept of product numbers \u2014 the \u201cPro 4\u201d was the last device to carry them, and they\u2019 re now gone from the company\u2019s tablets.
Leaked images and information suggest that the new Kaby Lake-based Surface Pro will keep its predecessors port lineup and capabilities, which means no USB-C or Thunderbolt. The continued use of Surface\u2019s magnetic connector is good if you already have adapters (and magnetic connectors in general are pretty handy) . But the lack of port updates or leaked new features suggests that this will be a drop-in replacement, with Kaby Lake taking the place of Skylake. That\u2019s not a bad thing by any measure, since Kaby Lake tends to use less power and run a bit cooler, but if you bought a Surface Pro 4 several years ago you probably won\u2019 t see much here you\u2019 d want to upgrade to.
One thing we do know is that optional accessories, like the Surface Pen and keyboard will be available in a range of colors, similar to the recently announced Surface Laptop. There\u2019s also the possibility Microsoft will introduce different price points or resolutions \u2014 it\u2019s harder to tell those features simply by looking at pictures of the system.
It would have been nice to see even one USB-C port on the Surface Pro, since the new system is at least a minor refresh, and USB-C is moving toward wide adoption across the industry. We\u2019 ll have to wait 12-18 months longer for that iteration, I suppose, by which point new technology might have advanced enough for Microsoft to feel comfortable using that Surface Pro 5 moniker. Or maybe not \u2014 Apple\u2019s various devices still have internal code names that reference which generation they are, but the company publicly brands its hardware as a \u201cMacBook Pro\u201d or \u201cMacBook Air\u201d for many years in a row. Microsoft may have decided this brand simplicity is part of what people like about MacBooks, and is looking to copy it.<\/p>\n

\n

Similarity rank: 1.1<\/div>\n

Sentiment rank: 1.5<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n