Microsoft's Surface Pro 4 release date: Specs to include new Skylake chipsets?

Surface Pro 3Microsoft

Reports suggest that tech giant Microsoft is gearing up for a rollout in October, and that the major release will focus on the next Surface Pro tablet, the Surface Pro 4. 

The Surface Pro series is one of Microsoft's most successful product lineups. The combination of high-grade specs and a convenient yet premium build makes the 2-in-1 hybrid a hit among the tech-savvy crowd, particularly those who are always on the go and need a reliable mobile workstation. 

The current iteration, the Surface Pro 3, has come out on top of many tech reviews for mobile computing devices, even culminating as one of the Top 25 inventions of 2014. Meanwhile, although Microsoft has already released a slightly watered-down version of the device in the budget-friendly Surface 3 tablet, many fans are expecting that the company will be announcing the Surface Pro 3 successor soon. 

According to Tom Warren of tech industry observer The Verge, aside from the souped-up specs of the Surface Pro 4, one of the things that fans will like about the upcoming tablet is its imminent release date. Answering a fan's tweet about whether to wait for the new Surface Pro or place an order for a discounted Surface Pro 3, Warren said, "Definitely wait for the 4. October." 

Among the many rumored specs that Warren also confirmed is that the next Surface Pro will have an amped-up powerhouse since Microsoft will be forgoing the Intel Core M chipset of the previous tablets in the lineup. Although the specific processor to be used remains unknown, some observers say that with the imminent release of Intel's new batch of mobile processors, the Surface Pro 4 may even use one of the newer Skylake architecture chipsets. 

Aside from the upgraded processor, it is also rumored that the next Surface Pro will come out lighter and with a slightly larger display than its predecessor.