Microsoft Surface Pro 5 to feature rechargeable Pen?

Microsoft Surface Pro 4, current model in the marketMicrosoft

The Microsoft Surface Pro 4 proved to be a massive success last year and it is highly expected that the follow-up, the Microsoft Surface Pro 5, will release around the same time, this October. While nothing has yet been confirmed, a report from Tech Times points at one of the potential upgrades the newer model will have.

According to the report, Microsoft recently filed a patent for a rechargeable stylus. The Surface Pen does its job well, and with its single AAAA battery it can last for eight to twelve months before needing a battery change. However, the new patent suggests that the new Surface Pro 5 will come with a rechargeable pen and with it a dock built onto the device.

The charging dock will reportedly be placed on the device and will serve not only to recharge the unit but to hold the stylus in place to prevent users from losing it.

"As a stylus may be easily misplaced due to the typical size and shape of the stylus, the stylus charger may take the form of a dock that holds the stylus in a particular location during charging and/or while the stylus is not being used," reads the official statement from Microsoft.

However, the report does point out that this charging dock may also become available as an accessory instead of being built directly onto the Surface Pro 5. The report also points out that the Surface Pen may no longer be sold together wth the tablet and, in the future, it is possible that it will be bundled instead with the charging/holding dock.

According to a report from Cubic Lane, other improvements that the Surface Pro 5 may introduce include having the fingerprint scanner being built onto the device instead of the Type Cover keyboard accessory, having the Type Cover bundled with the Surface Pro 5, a lighter design and longer battery life.