Previously, it was expected that the new Intel processors will be coming out this year, possibly by late 2016. However, speculations suggest that Intel has apparently delayed the launch of the seventh-gen Kaby Lake chipset, and the new processors will be coming out in 2017 instead.

According to rumors, Intel is having some issues with the mass production of the upcoming new processors, hence it will have to change the release date. While Intel has yet to confirm the delay, it may also be the reason why fans are not yet seeing details on the new Surface products from Microsoft.

Reportedly, Microsoft is just waiting for the mass production of the new Kaby Lake processors before confirming new products such as the Surface Pro 5 and the Surface Book 2. The Redmond-based tech conglomerate needs the seventh-gen processor as the central upgrade feature of its new products.

Meanwhile, some observers say that with the Kaby Lake chipset only seemingly an updated architecture of the current-gen Sky Lake, Intel should just jump over the upcoming chipset and go straight to the rumored cutting-edge processor Cannon Lake. Reportedly, its rival AMD is already set to release its new processors this year, and should the Kaby Lake really be delayed, it will have to only play catch-up. In addition, there are reportedly only minor updates on the Kaby Lake series, and the current-gen Sky Lake processor can still handle the competition until Cannon Lake comes out next year.

However, the rumored release date of the Kaby Lake processors is still considered as hearsay, since Intel has yet to officially announce a launch date. Speculations also say that Intel is thinking of coming out with other products together with the Kaby Lake series, most notably the new ultra-fast Optane SSDs.