1. Home >
  2. Computing

Microsoft Set to Unveil New Surface Pro With No USB-C or Thunderbolt

Microsoft is prepping an update to its Surface Pro 4, but the company won't be making any dramatic changes to its hardware.
By Joel Hruska
Microsoft's Surface has gone from a proof of concept into the spearhead of Microsoft's hardware business

A few weeks ago, we covered statements from Panos Panay, Microsoft's VP of Devices, that there was no such thing as a Surface Pro 5, and that the company wouldn't build such a device until it could deliver some more significant improvements than just updating the CPU or a few other modest tweaks to battery life. Panay said this meant "there's no such thing as a Pro 5" not because MS was giving up on the hardware, but because to deserve the name, the platform would need to deliver more fundamental advances.

We now know that Microsoft does have a Surface Pro refresh in the works, and like Panay said, it's not a "Pro 5." In fact, it's just a "Surface Pro." Microsoft seems to be moving away from any concept of product numbers -- the "Pro 4" was the last device to carry them, and they're now gone from the company's tablets.

flatImage by VentureBeat Leaked images(Opens in a new window) and information suggest that the new Kaby Lake-based Surface Pro will keep its predecessors port lineup and capabilities, which means no USB-C or Thunderbolt. The continued use of Surface's magnetic connector is good if you already have adapters (and magnetic connectors in general are pretty handy). But the lack of port updates or leaked new features suggests that this will be a drop-in replacement, with Kaby Lake taking the place of Skylake. That's not a bad thing by any measure, since Kaby Lake tends to use less power and run a bit cooler, but if you bought a Surface Pro 4 several years ago you probably won't see much here you'd want to upgrade to.

One thing we do know is that optional accessories, like the Surface Pen and keyboard will be available in a range of colors, similar to the recently announced Surface Laptop. There's also the possibility Microsoft will introduce different price points or resolutions -- it's harder to tell those features simply by looking at pictures of the system.

It would have been nice to see even one USB-C port on the Surface Pro, since the new system is at least a minor refresh, and USB-C is moving toward wide adoption across the industry. We'll have to wait 12-18 months longer for that iteration, I suppose, by which point new technology might have advanced enough for Microsoft to feel comfortable using that Surface Pro 5 moniker. Or maybe not -- Apple's various devices still have internal code names that reference which generation they are, but the company publicly brands its hardware as a "MacBook Pro" or "MacBook Air" for many years in a row. Microsoft may have decided this brand simplicity is part of what people like about MacBooks, and is looking to copy it.

Tagged In

Surface Pro Microsoft Surface Laptop Surface Book Surface

More from Computing

Subscribe Today to get the latest ExtremeTech news delivered right to your inbox.
This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of use(Opens in a new window) and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time.
Thanks for Signing Up