Will Microsoft introduce the Surface Pro 5 anytime soon? That likely will be the case as a new report said the device just passed through a required safety certification in China, pointing to a release date that is happening soon.
The Surface Pro 5 is now cleared to enter China and safe to use by consumers, according to MS Power User, following the clearance from China Compulsory Certificate (CCC). This is the latest indicator that the SP5 is coming out soon as rumors persist that Microsoft intends to introduce the device, alongside the Surface Book 2, in time for its Spring 2017 event.
However, Microsoft insider Paul Thurrott recently advised not to expect jaw-dropping upgrades when the SP5 is unboxed. At best, the specs bump from the Surface Pro 4 to the sequel would be "nothing dramatic," Thurrott said.
If true, the Thurrott forecast makes sense and not without precedent as the same thing was seen when the Surface Pro 3 was rolled out - the device represented a minor jump from the Surface Pro 2, and Microsoft is likely doing the same for a reason.
And that could be to merely make use of the SP5 and new products under the Surface line as showcase devices for the beefed up Microsoft ecosystem. One likely scenario is that the tech giant could be "placing the emphasis on its cloud-based services and the Windows 10 operating system," Forbes said in a related report.
The chief plan appears to package the Surface devices as the main hardware support for Microsoft's big software push this 2017 and in the coming years. Along the same line, it is expected that when the Windows 10 Creators Update starts rolling out, the Surface Pro 5 will debut shortly.
It's the same case with the rumored Surface Phone as speculations are rife that when the Windows 10 Redstone 3 Update is pushed out later this 2017, release of the smartphone will soon follow.
In any case, reports said the Surface Pro 5 on release date will be powered by Intel Kaby Lake, and likely the same applies for the Surface Book 2. And it will be the Snapdragon 835 chip as the Surface Phone main engine, mainly to enable the phone to smoothly emulate x86 apps on the Windows 10 mobile platform.