Microsoft Surface Pro 5 Predictions

The Surface Pro 4 hit shelves in late October of 2015 and has been very successful. When it first arrived, Engadget assured readers that it can really replace their laptops.

“The Surface Pro 3 was a sign that Microsoft’s crazy hybrid tablet experiment might actually have legs. The Surface Pro 4, on the other hand, is the company’s Surface dream made real. Everything Microsoft promised at that surprise Surface unveiling in 2012 is here today with the Pro 4.”

The review especially praised the Surface Pro’s Type Cover, Surface Pen, screen, and low weight. They did criticize the mediocre battery life, which a lot of others have criticized as well. A Reddit poster named Angry_Mut went viral with his complaint about the battery life.

“The battery life on my seems pretty horrendous, I recently run a test were I streamed a 8hrs 1080p video of a fire burning, to see how long my surface would last. My sp4 managed a pathetic 3:26 before dying which seems a fair bit lower than what I should be getting.”

Microsoft has made some battery life improvements with firmware updates, which have made the battery life on the Surface Pro mediocre instead of intolerable. Some people have suggested throttling the CPU speed to gain more battery life and it does work. However, when one pays as much as $1600 for a device, you shouldn’t have to throttle anything.

Improved Battery Life

One can be certain that the Surface Pro 5 will have improved battery life. It may not last users more than 10 hours like the new iPad Pro, but one can stop worrying about constantly having to carry a charger around everywhere.

Intel 7th Generation Kaby Lake Processor

One of the reasons battery life will improve without compromising performance is because of Intel’s upcoming 7th generation processor, which should start appearing in devices this fall. With every new processor, Intel has been able to improve performance while saving battery life. However, expect this new processor to improve battery life more than ever.

4K 12.3-inch Screen

The 2736×1824 pixel resolution screen (267 PPI) is outstanding on the Surface Pro 4, but expect Microsoft to add more pixels on the Surface Pro 5. The only problem with doing this is that the more pixels a screen has, the more battery life it eats up. However, expect Microsoft to find a solution, even if it means providing users with a one-touch option of reverting back to the Quad HD+ screen.

Improved Surface Pen Hardware And Software

One who uses the Apple Pencil will understand that although the current N-Trig pen and support on the Surface Pro 4 is already good, it doesn’t feel completely natural. One can notice that it’s hard to draw straight lines when drawing slowly on the device. Expect Microsoft to either revert back to a Wacom pen or invent their own pen technology.

Improved Type Cover

Microsoft already made major improvements to the Type Cover on the Surface Pro 4, but expect things to get even better on the Surface Pro 5. Surface users can expect a more solid type cover, which may add more weight to the overall package, but will help make the new Surface Pro feel better when users prop it on their laps while sitting down or on their legs when lying down.

Earlier Release Date

The final prediction is that Microsoft won’t wait until October to release the Surface Pro 5. Expect an early summer release, but don’t expect Microsoft to cut any prices. The entry level Surface Pro 5 will still cost $899 and the most expensive version with the Intel Core i7 processor will cost $1799. However, like the Surface Pro 4, one can expect the Surface Pro 5 to be another big seller for Microsoft.

[Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images]