The Microsoft Surface Pro 5- it’s been a long and highly anticipated launch, but now it’s not just speculation after speculation anymore. The specs and sales date of Microsoft’s newest Surface Model have finally arrived. Is it just me, or has Microsoft been on top of things, launching these highly popular notebooks one after another? If we didn’t have a new iPhone to buy our teenagers for Christmas, oh what ever could we get them? A hair accessory? Yeah right.

Okay, so maybe 17 months isn’t that uncommon, we most definitely see smartphone manufacturers releasing the latest version once a year. In actuality, the 17 months is also the exact same amount of time between the Surface Pro 3 and Surface Pro 4, so, let’s just consider Microsoft incredibly consistent at this point. Except for one thing, one rumor that I believe has finally become extinguished- this model will not be dubbed the “Surface Pro 5”, but rather simply “Surface Pro”. Is this alluding that this is the model? The ultimate version to beat? It’s more likely a matter of preference to just drop the number scheme. Apple has done the exact same thing with giving its latest MacBook its initial birth name as well. In any case, what’s far more important is, well, the rest of the details on this 2-in-1, which as usual, performs as both a complete tablet and complete laptop.

Appearing as a nearly identical brother to the Surface Pro 4, the new Surface Pro has many meaningful changes worth talking about. Microsoft’s Surface chief, Panos Panay, for example, says there are over 800 new custom parts in the new Pro. Not only that, but there are multiple versions, more or less rated by the Intel Core model inside. For example, the highest iteration of processor will be the Kaby Lake Intel Core i7 chip, while the other two configurations include either Core i5, or the Core m3 CPU processor.

More important than the processor upgrade alone, is the SSD integrated onto the motherboard. Options range from 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB. Memory includes 4, 8, or 16GB of RAM, respectively, and as far as resolution, nothing has changed since the Surface Pro 4. Therefore, the 12.3-inch PixelSense display remains at 273ppi, or a 2,736 x 1,824 pixels. Newly upgraded is the Surface Pen. It’s improved, and can sense when you tilt it, (many enjoy how the Apple Pencil does this), and maintains a whopping 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity. However the stylus pen is not bundled, and Microsoft explains the reasoning for this simply- most Surface 2-in-1 owners already have a Surface Pen.

Also good to know, while both the Core m3 and Core i5 models do contain fans with thinner vents, the top model, with Intel Core i7, has no fan. Weight wise, the Core m3 and Core i7 both weigh the same, yet the Core i5 is said to have dropped a small amount in weight. Yet, obviously, if looking at the photos, nothing is noticeable enough to see a difference between these and the Surface Pro 4. They all have the same dimensions as last year’s iteration. Battery life, however, has increased from 9 hours to 13.5, thanks to its larger capacity, as well as the more efficient CPUs on board, and Windows 10 Creators Update. As an overall concluding statement, the Surface Pro 2017 keeps all of its good attributes, updates its battery, Surface Pen, and a good bump in its processor will allow for everything to perform better.