Microsoft Gives New Details On Surface And Surface Pro Products

Microsoft is finally talking about the Surface and Surface Pro again. However, it may not be the information fans were hoping for. However, tech blog Thurrott has some information from the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference.

“Microsoft will increase the number of partners that can sell Surface from a couple hundred to a few thousand partners globally in the coming months. This expansion will ensure that the company can meet customers’ growing demand for the Surface family of products through its partners and create additional mobility opportunities for the channel.”

While this may not be an announcement for the Surface Pro 4, it could indicate that the Surface Pro 4 is about to be announced. Microsoft’s upcoming laptop/tablet hybrid is one of the most hotly anticipated products of 2015.

It was presumed that the Surface Pro 4 would be announced during the first week of July, and that it would appear in stores by the end of the month. Because of the lack of announcement, rumors started appearing last week that the Surface Pro 4 won’t appear in stores until 2016! WinBeta broke the alleged bad news.

“There’s been no confirmation that a Surface Pro 4 is officially going to exist. In addition to the device only being rumored to exist, the potential release date in the second half of 2016 is speculation as well. That being said, there’s enough information here to peak interest and speculate.”

WinBeta goes on to note that none of the rumors, even the one that it will be released at the end of the month, can be completely trusted. However, like others, they believe that the Surface Pro 4 might not be ready to ship soon, especially because the Surface Pro 3 is still selling very well.

Microsoft has turned its Surface Pro line from a joke into a technology breakthrough in the course of two years. The Surface Pro 1 and Surface Pro 2 were laughed at, mainly because both devices were thick, heavy, and had poor battery life. However, that changed with the Surface Pro 3, released in June of 2014. Joe Osbourne from TechRadar gave the Surface Pro 3 a near-perfect rating.

“Not without its drawbacks, this is the brightest shining example of not only Microsoft’s vision of a laptop-free future, but the entire laptop-tablet hybrid category.”

The review goes on to praise the gorgeous screen and unique design. If the Surface Pro 3 is this good, the Surface Pro 4 could easily be the best device of 2015 (or 2016).

[Photo by Joe Raedle / Getty Images]