Well, assuming we’re right about the Microsoft event on Tuesday, our wait to find out what the Surface Pro 4 will offer is nearly over. If you’re interested, you can watch the event live online at 10:00 AM (EDT) Tuesday here: Windows 10 Devices Event.
In light of this, even though I did a Surface Pro 4 rumor post a little over a month ago, I thought it would be helpful to outline some of the major rumors to refresh your memory, so you know what to look for if you watch the webcast.
In addition, there are a few more, even newer, rumors you might not have heard yet.
Let’s get started…
Last Minute Surface Pro 4 Rumors: Tech Specs
It still looks like the Surface Pro 4 is going to sport a FANLESS (goodbye fan noise) 5th generation Intel Skylake processor which should offer some performance gains over the 4th generation Haswell processor family the Surface Pro 3 uses. The Skylake family will also include an integrated Iris GPU which should offer significantly improved graphics performance. Since I’m a gamer, this is very exciting to me.
Other rumors indicate hard drive sizes starting at 256GB and going up to 1TB for the high-end models and RAM options starting at 4GB up to 16GB! In addition to big SSD and RAM numbers, the SP4 may well offer a 4K UHD display which would make for incredibly crisp and bright graphics.
Specs like these would give the Surface Pro 4 better performance than nearly any laptop or hybrid tablet on the market today in a thin and light package. Hey, I might be dreaming but with those specs, I will buy an SP4.
Last Minute Surface Pro 4 Rumors: Size
Many rumors indicate that there will be two differently-sized Surface Pro 4 models. It looks like there will be one or more 12″ models that have a very similar size and port configuration to Surface Pro 3 that allow SP3′ accessories (specifically Type Covers and docking stations) to be used.
In addition, there may be one or more larger 14″ models which may not be able to use the Surface Pro 3 accessories but will offer a larger screen.
Last Minute Surface Pro 4 Rumors: Bigger Type Cover
Speaking of size, while it kind of sucks that you might need a new Type Cover for the 14″ model, it does mean that the cover would offer more space. This could translate to better key spacing and/or a larger trackpad, which would be nice.
Also, some rumors indicate that Microsoft is planning to ditch the pen loop but include an improved way of attaching your stylus to the Surface Pro 4.
14″ Surface Pro 4 with a thin bezel next to a Surface Pro 3 (concept)
Last Minute Surface Pro 4 Rumors: Screen
Some newer rumors are indicating that the Surface Pro 4 will have a much smaller bezel around the screen. While this would allow a larger viewing area and would look really cool, it might make it kind of tough to use in tablet mode for a couple of reasons:
- Without a bezel, you won’t be able to easily grip the tablet securely and might be more prone to drop it.
- It might be difficult to use swipe gestures that start from off screen (swipe in from the top, for example) – especially if you put your Surface in a protective case or sleeve.
- If there’s no bezel, then there’s no Windows Button on the front which means it would have to be moved to the edge or omitted – this could also be problematic when in tablet mode.
Now, Microsoft could get around these potential problems by having the usable screen area “shrink” when in tablet mode (i.e. shrink from 14″ to 12″) to give you a “virtual bezel” around the functional screen area so you can hold onto it. This idea was recently brought forward by W4phub (an Arabic language news site). It’s not clear if this is “leaked” information or if it’s just conjecture.
Either way, reconfigurable screen size depending on mode is an interesting concept, even if it turns out to not be the reality.
Last Minute Surface Pro 4 Rumors: Pen
Recently, rumors have been popping up regarding the Surface Pro 4 pen. Specifically, that it will offer better accuracy and less “pen lag” than its predecessor. It’s unclear if the SP4 Pen will be backwards-compatible with the SP3.
Since Microsoft bought N-Trig I believe it’s likely the SP3 pen will be forward compatible (N-Trig built the SP3 pen, after all). However, it wouldn’t surprise me if you had to get a new (SP4) pen in order to get the best performance.
Last Minute Surface Pro 4 Rumors: Windows Hello
While some laptop cameras support biometric login via Windows Hello, it’s unlikely that the Surface Pro 4 will include one that’s compatible (it needs to be a special IR-capable camera).
Instead, Microsoft will probably include a fingerprint reader on the tablet or Type Cover to let you log into Windows 10 with a touch or swipe across the sensor. This could keep your tablet secure when not in use but still allow for quick logins when you want to use it without the need to type in passwords or PINS.
I’m sure there are some rumors I’m not touching on. So, if you’ve heard one that I didn’t cover above, feel free to share it in the comments, so we can be on the lookout for it on Tuesday.
Finally, I’ll be doing a live session on the Love My Surface Forum during the webcast so join me there starting at 10:00 AM (EDT) Tuesday to share thoughts about the announcement.
Here’s a link to the forum topic: Surface Pro 4 Announcement Thread
Tim
