Microsoft Surface Pro 5 and Surface CloudBook should have been released together; Lower Surface Pro sales worry Microsoft

It’s high time for the Microsoft Surface Pro 5 to be released. The predecessor, Surface Pro 4 was introduced in October 2015. Surface sales have been down for some time. Microsoft has blamed lower Surface Pro sales for this. Thus, it is evident that the company desperately needs a Surface Pro.

Microsoft has revealed a 26 percent drop in Surface revenue for the quarter ending March 31. There could be various reasons for the drop. The company’s new Surface Book with Surface Studio and Performance Base, and its latest devices in its family of computers are very expensive and cost a couple of thousand dollars. The devices have been designed primarily for hardcore professionals and those who are willing to spend a lot for a computer. They are definitely not for the everyday user.

Fans and consumers were very eager to lay their hands on the Surface Pro hybrid, as they found it really appealing. However, price became an issue and many couldn’t afford it. Microsoft has blamed slower Surface sales on lower than expected Surface Pro unit volume. Moreover, the last update was in October 2015. Those who are interested in it are now choosing products from rival companies such as Samsung, Dell and HP. These companies are selling lighter and thinner tablets with more upgraded hardware.

Intel’s seventh generation processor is yet to find a place in any of the Surface Pro devices. On the other hand, most top manufacturers are already using the chip. The Redmond tech giant needs to update the Surface Pro with the latest generation Intel chipset, writes CNBC. The company is hosting an event on May 2, where it will talk hardware. However, the Microsoft Surface Pro 5 has not been mentioned, and may even give the event a miss. Meanwhile, the company is sure to unveil the Windows 10 Cloud platform and a cheaper Surface variant to rival Google’s Chromebooks.

Experts believe, Microsoft should have unveiled the Surface Pro 5 too, so as to win back consumers’ attention on the line. But one thing is also clear; Microsoft is looking to increase the adoption of its cloud services via the use of low-cost hardware. The new Surface CloudBook that the company is about to unveil has also garnered quite a lot of attention. It will be interesting to see how this new device fares against the Google Chromebooks. Stay tuned on IBT AU for more updates on Surface Pro 5 and other such devices.

ALSO READ: Microsoft may stun Google and Apple with Surface CloudBook on Windows 10 Cloud; Surface Pro 5 mystery remains

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