Rumors regarding the upcoming new 2016 Microsoft Surface Pro 5 and the 2016 MacBook Pro have been popping up in the past few months, with both devices expected to face each other in the highly competitive high-end laptop market.

The majority of the reports have claimed that it might be possible for both devices to be released at the same time, most likely in separate events that will be held next month.

Apple and Microsoft have, of course, not yet released any official statements regarding their respective devices' launch dates, but that hasn't stopped fans from speculating. Both devices will be vying for the same relative audience as both will come with the latest hardware and features that modern computing technology can offer.

However, other reports have claimed that the Microsoft Surface Pro 5 is unlikely to be released this year as the company might have been forced to intentionally delay its public release due to several factors. The new 2-in-1 laptop device is expected to be coming with Intel's latest Kaby Lake processor and a newly updated Windows 10 operating system, dubbed the Redstone 2 update. Unfortunately, both the new processor and the operating system update are still unfinished, which means that Microsoft can't launch their new laptop just yet.

If Apple does decide to have an early launch for their new MacBook Pro laptop, this would mean that it would likely be coming with the current generation SkyLake chips. The CPU-architecture itself is still quite a performer, but it isn't really a match for the next generation Kaby Lake chips.

Despite the slightly slower and power-hungry processor, Apple will have the advantage of an early release, which could pay off in the end.

On the other hand, Microsoft's decision to hold off its release to wait for a more advanced chipset and operating system could be the winning factor that would entice buyers to also hold off on purchasing Apple's new MacBook Pro.