Speculations suggest that with competitors already out with their flagship products, Microsoft is also readying to launch its own lineups, including a follow-up to the Surface Book.

According to TechRadar, although Microsoft has yet to officially confirm the release, the Surface Book 2 is expected to come out along with other Microsoft Surface products later this year, or by early 2017 at the latest. The late 2016 release seems plausible, since it is already expected that Microsoft will be rolling out a major update to its Windows 10 platform. This means that to showcase the upcoming Redstone 2 update, Microsoft will need new launching vehicles, which is where the new Surface lineups will come into play.

The update itself is said to be in two parts, with the introduction to Redstone 2 occurring later this year, and a new patch to complete the major update to be released in early 2017.

Meanwhile, the Surface Book 2 is also expected to be the launching vehicle for another tech improvement, the next-gen Intel processor. When the original Surface Book was introduced last year, it came as an introduction to the sixth-gen Intel processor, Sky Lake. According to speculations, the Surface Book 2 will repeat this by introducing the new-generation Kaby Lake processors. With a new chipset as its core, the Surface Book 2 is expected to come packed with new features such as USB 3.1 support, Thunderbolt 3 support, and performance-driven GPU and CPU cores.

Expecting top-tier specs, fans also want to see the next Surface Book switch to full 4K display. This means that the Surface Book 2 may retain its screen dimensions, but will offer a brighter and clearer display with at least 3,840 x 2,160 resolution.

The current-gen Surface Book offers 3,000 x 2,000 resolution on a 13.5-inch display. It is said that the design may have a sleeker profile, too.