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Microsoft unveils new Surface Pro device to reverse sales drop

At the Surface Pro’s reveal event today (23 May) in Shanghai, the company talked up the device’s 13.5 hours of battery life which would represent a 50% improvement over the Surface Pro 4.

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Microsoft’s corporate VP of Devices, Panos Panay, has posted a photo on Twitter which shows the keyboard in what appears to be red, gold, gray and blue colors.

Get ready for the next-generation of the Surface Pro.

Microsoft is updating its Surface tablet line, introducing a device that drops the numeral branding from the tablet and adds battery life and horsepower. Weighing about 1.7 pounds, the Surface Pro packs a 12.3-inch display with PixelSense technology and 3:2 aspect ratio. Customers can choose from Core m3, Core i5 and Core i7 models, with the first two being completely fanless. There’s also a new Whiteboard app for Windows 10 (currently available only as a private preview for the Surface Hub) that gives Surface device owners a collaborative drawing space.

Microsoft has yet again not put a USB Type-C port, something which is creeping into nearly every new laptop and PC.

The new Surface Pro is completely redesigned and is the thinnest (8.5mm) and lightest (1.7lb) Surface yet. But on the other, Surface Pen is incredibly important to those Surface Pro 4 users who do use the peripheral, and the new version is much improved. The biggest news is the inclusion of new Intel Kaby Lake processors. The Surface Pro 4 (128GB with an Intel Core m3 and no Pen) can now be found for £674.10 and $699 in the US.

Microsoft is also planning to offer a Surface Pro with built-in LTE that will launch later this year.

Such a massive leap in performance can be owed to a few elements unique to the new Surface Pro.

There is also a new Surface Pen, which comes in four colours and offers four times the sensitivity of its predecessor. That means January – March though, and in case you haven’t noticed, we’re a bit past that now – so take the other claims with a pinch of salt.

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The new Surface Pro releases June 15 for the starting price of $799. Do its specs align with the rumors and speculation surrounding Surface Pro 5? This allows designers greater freedom and allows them to replicate a Microsoft Surface Studio.

Surface Pro