The Microsoft Surface Pro 5 will not be released this year, as per the latest reports. This is allegedly due to the company's decision to secure better market performance for the two-in-one device by taking advantage of future opportunities.

For starters, it is expected that the next-generation Surface Pro will owe much of its upgrades over its predecessor to the Redstone 2 update, the second massive update for Windows 10, which won't be fully baked until spring next year.

It is bound to introduce a slew of opportunities for Microsoft to integrate additional features to the Surface Pro 5, which is reportedly why the Redmond-based software titan chose to wait for it.

Another reason that could lead to the Microsoft Surface Pro 5's 2017 launch is that the company would like to directly confront Apple's iPad Pro releases for next year.

According to trusted KGI Securities analyst Ming Chi-Kuo, who holds an impressive track record on Apple predictions, Microsoft's Cupertino-based rival will release the iPad Pro 2 and the new 10.5-inch early next year.

This hints the possibility that Microsoft will use the Surface Pro 5 to give the new version of the iPad Pro a run for its money, making for an intense laplet competition next year.

The Microsoft Surface Pro 4 was released October last year, so users naturally expected the company to come out with a new version this year in the same month.

However, Microsoft analyst Mary Jo Foley says that while the Surface maker will indeed hold an event next month, the Surface all-in-one computer will be the star of the show.

She also suggested that updated versions of the Surface Pro 4 and the Surface Book will be introduced there rather than official successors, which Microsoft is saving up for next year.

Foley says that the updated models will get "newer, faster, processors" as well as "minor" features. She reiterated that the Microsoft Surface Pro 5, as well as the Surface Book 2, will be launched spring next year.