Updated: Surface Pro 4 release date, news and rumours ~ lotfi

Update: We may get to see the Surface Pro 4 before the end of the month if the latest rumour is correct.

Each Surface Pro has arguably been better than the last, and there's good reason to believe that the Surface Pro 4 could turn out to be something special.

While the Surface Pro 2 was marketed as a tablet that could do more than other tablets (particularly Apple's iPad), Microsoft switched tact to try and make the Surface Pro 3 an all-out MacBook Air killer.

Touted "the tablet that can replace your laptop", it was lighter than Apple's popular machine, had a sharp display and excellent handwriting capabilities - but it was far from perfect. Battery life was so-so, you had to shell out for a (still pretty flimsy) Type Cover and it sometimes became uncomfortably warm under use. Can the Surface Pro 4 go one better than its impressive, but imperfect predecessor?

With Intel's Core M 'Broadwell' CPU out (and Skylake on the horizon), in addition to Windows 10 later in the year, Microsoft has all the ingredients to make the Surface Pro 4 the 2-in-1 that could kick both your laptop and tablet into touch.

Microsoft has a tough job on its hands following the launch of Apple's new MacBook, but if the rumours are on the money the Surface Pro 4 could well notch a victory on the portable notebook battleground.

Cut to the chase

What is it? A brand new Surface Pro

When is it out? Could be as soon as March, as late as October

What will it cost? From around £575 to more than £1,300

Surface Pro 3

Surface Pro 4 release date

Microsoft has launched its brand new Surface tablet, the Surface 3, meaning a summer launch for the Surface Pro 4 is a little less likely than before. Preorders for the Surface 3 started on March 31, and from May 5 you will be able to buy one along with any accessories both online and in physical Microsoft stores.

Speculation has it that Microsoft will unveil the Surface Pro 4 at its Build 2015 conference at the end of April. According to DigiTimes, which spoke to a source in the know, Microsoft is planning to "unveil its next-generation Surface Pro 4 tablet aduring the upcoming Build developer conference in April", before putting it into production at some point in June.

Other rumours are pointing a little later in the year to October, the time that Windows 10 is expected to drop (Microsoft has tentatively teased "early fall"). It's thought that the Surface Pro 4 will be one of the first to ship with Microsoft's upcoming OS pre-loaded.

According to a report by VCpost, cited by the International Business Times, the Surface Pro 4 will launch in July 2015 and will come with a 2K screen sporting a 2,160 x 1,440 pixel-resolution. Inside, it's rumoured to come with an Intel Core-i5 and Core-i7 processor, in addition to a stylus pen like the Surface Pro 3. If true, that would place just two months between the Surface 3 becoming available and the Surface 4 launching, two dates that are a little too close together in our eyes.

Surface Pro 4 design

At 12 inches, the Surface Pro 3 is Microsoft's biggest Surface tablet (not counting the giant Surface Hub). According to Design & Trend, which points to Chinese news website cnBeta, the Surface Pro 4 will launch in two different sizes - one with a 12-inch display and a larger version with a 14-inch display (possibly to compete with the iPad Pro and other rumoured monster tablets). That report notes that the tablet will likely feature Intel's Core M Broadwell CPU, which has been used in a number of Windows machines and more recently Apple's new MacBook.

Surface Pro 3 side

Microsoft's Surface tablets have always been praised for their design, so it's hard to see the company deviating too much from what has gone before. That seems to be the case judging by a company blog post by general manager for Microsoft's Surface line Brian Hall, which says that the Surface Pro 3's accessories will be compatible with "the next generation of the 'Pro' line of Surface".

He wrote: "We are pleased to share that the following Surface Pro 3 accessories are designed with our product roadmap in mind and will be compatible with the next generation of the "Pro" line of Surface:

Today's Surface Pro 3 Type Covers

Our "infrastructure" accessories such as our power adapter, Ethernet adapter, and more

The Surface Pro 3 Docking Station

"This commitment helps validate an investment in Surface Pro 3 and solidifies Microsoft's overall commitment to the continued growth of the Surface brand."

On the other hand, now that Intel's fifth-generation Core M chips are available, Microsoft could use Intel's Broadwell-Y CPU to make the Surface Pro 4 thinner than its predecessor as well as fanless while retaining compatibility with accessories.

The Surface Pro 4 could launch alongside Microsoft's long-rumoured Surface Mini tablet, which is expected to feature an 8-inch display and will be positioned to take on the likes of the iPad Mini 2 and Google Nexus tablets.

Surface Pro 4 specs

The Surface Pro 4 could offer similar storage options to the Surface Pro 3, starting at 64GB and rising to 128GB, 256GB and 500GB. It wouldn't be surprising if Microsoft introduced a Surface Pro 4 with a 1TB storage option for the first time.

According to the Design & Trend report, the Surface Pro 4 will run Windows 10 and will come with a 2,160 x 1,440 pixel-resolution display, up to 1TB of storage and 16GB of RAM. It will also apparently come with Xbox game streaming.

Surface Pro 3 stylus

As mentioned, it is expected that the Surface Pro 4 will come with Intel's Core M 'Broadwell' CPU, which was made available to device makers in January. In TechRadar's analysis piece, we argue that the powerful Intel Core M 5Y70 is the perfect CPU for Microsoft's upcoming tablet.

The Surface Pro 4 could also come with new accessories following Microsoft's acquisition of N-Trig, the Israel-based company behind its Surface tablets' pressure-sensitive stylus technology.