Oct 07, 2016 09:23 AM EDT By Vinay Patel, UniversityHerald Reporter

Rumor mills have been swirling speculations around Microsoft Surface Pro 5 release date since the start of the year, but now it finally looks like the highly anticipated successor of Microsoft Surface Pro 4 is all set to take the tablet domain by storm.

Microsoft Surface Pro 5 Release Date - 2016 Or 2017?

It can be recalled that the device was previously rumored to arrive in June amidst Microsoft's plan to compete with Apple. This decision was made on the grounds that Apple would introduce MacBook Pro 2016 during WWDC, but that did not happen.

It is now October and there's hearsay that Apple may finally unveil its new MacBook Pro anytime soon. That being said, it remains to be seen where or not Microsoft comes out with the much awaited hybrid laptop this month.

If recently surfaced reports are anything to go by, MacBook fans are in for a huge disappointment this year as well; the Redmond based software maker is not ready to debut the Microsoft Surface Pro 5 due to its hardware manufacturing, iDigitalTimes reported.

Microsoft reticence regarding the Microsoft Surface Pro 5 release date further cements the fact that the device might not hit the store shelves this year.

Aside from lack of the official announcement from the company, it's worth noting that there is no unofficial information or even leaks for the Microsoft Surface Pro 5 ever surfacing online for that matter, CounselHeal reported.

Microsoft Surface Pro 5 Specs - What We Can Expect

The Surface Pro 5 is expected to boast specs similar to its precursor, with some improvements.

Considering the possibility that the Surface Pro 5 may finally see the light in 2017, the device is likely to pack the 7th generation Intel chipset Kaby Lake which is also scheduled to arrive next year. The most notable tweak, however, is the Surface Pen's battery where rechargeable battery is likely to oust the triple A battery.

As far as connectivity is concerned, the Surface Pro 5 is expected to come with USB-C alongside USB 3.0 port. Other ports include dedicated slot for microSD, Video Mini Display Port and the 3.5mm headphone jack.

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