Surface Pro 4 unveiling expected soon

There was already speculation about an October launch of the Surface Pro 4, and the Microsoft sent out invitations to tech media for Windows 10 hardware event in New York on October 6. Adding 2 plus 2 it seems reasonable to think it equals 4–as in Surface Pro 4. In the wake of Apple’s new iPad Pro the ball is in Microsoft’s court, so here is what you can expect from the Surface Pro 4.

Earlier this week Apple held its big media event and unveiled the iPad Pro—a larger tablet with a keyboard cover and stylus which all look very much like an intentional move to copy the Microsoft Surface Pro 3. Imitation being the sincerest form of flattery and all, I suppose Microsoft should feel grateful. If the rumors are true, though, Microsoft will soon launch a new version—the Surface Pro 4—and that should raise the bar for Apple to strive for.

Microsoft hasn’t confirmed that a Surface Pro 4 exists at all, never mind whether or not such a device is imminent. Still, it’s been over a year since the Surface Pro 3 was launched and rumors and speculation in the tech industry tend to be based in reality for the most part so it seems reasonable to assume Microsoft will unveil a Surface Pro 4 soon.

What kinds of features and capabilities are people looking for in the next generation Surface Pro tablet? Or, more precisely, what should we expect from a Surface Pro 4?

Earlier this year there was a lot of talk about an impending tablet launch and everyone expected a Surface Pro 4. Microsoft did launch a new tablet, but it wasthe Surface 3 instead of a Surface Pro 4. The Surface 3 is a solid device with a variety of unique benefits, but it isn’t as powerful as the Surface Pro 3 and it left us all waiting.

Leading up to that event I had conducted a survey to find out what people wanted in the Surface Pro 4. The leading responses were lower price and longer battery life. Many people would also like Microsoft to stop selling the Type keyboard cover as an accessory and just bundle it by default with the tablet.

As we wait anxiously once again for the alleged Surface Pro 4 to debut, here are the four things I expect the new Microsoft tablet to include:

1. More powerful processor

One of the theories behind why the Surface Pro 4 wasn’t launched in early 2015 as expected is that Microsoft was waiting for the new Intel Skylake processors to be available. There is some speculation that the Surface Pro 4 will use Intel Broadwell chips that run cooler and would enable Microsoft to design the Surface Pro 4 without a fan—reducing thickness, weight, and noise. It would be a mistake, though, for Microsoft to not take advantage of the opportunity to expand the computing power of the Surface Pro 4 with Core i5 and Core i7 Intel Skylake processors.

You can see the complete list on Forbes: 4 Things To Expect From Microsoft’s Surface Pro 4.