Updated: Surface Pro 4 release date, news and rumours

Update: Windows 10 is launching on July 29 - so will we see a Surface Pro 4 in August?

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? 2015
• What will it cost? From around £575 to more than £1,300

Surface Pro 4 release date

It was expected that the Surface Pro 4 will launch with Windows 10, which Microsoft has confirmed will race onto PCs from July 29. The Surface 4 is expected to be the first device to launch with Microsoft's new operating system, so it wouldn't be crazy to expect it to roll up around August time.

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. Taking the Windows 10 launch date into account, that leaves very little time at the end of the month if this report is to be believed.

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.

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

Inside, the device is 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.

The Surface Pro 4 could offer similar storage options to the Surface Pro 3, starting at 64GB and rising to 128GB, 256GB and 500GB.

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.

Update: However, recent rumours point to a more powerful fanless tablet that could come with Intel's more powerful Broadwell chip. A report by Chinese publication 36KR claims that Microsoft is working on a Surface 4 with Broadwell that has small holes in the casing to allow for heat radiation and dissiptation. This would allow Microsoft to make it thinner and quieter than the Surface Pro 3 while using the same 12-inch 2,160 x 1,440 pixel-resolution display.

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. It was confirmed that Microsoft purchased N-Trig for $200 million (about $132 million, or AUS$255), which makes sense following the news that Microsoft's new Edge browser will embed handwriting functionality.

from Techradar - All the latest technology news http://ift.tt/1MKOcJd