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Microsoft passes on updating the Surface Pro

You'll have to make do with last year's model for a while longer.

Andrew Burton/Getty Images

Microsoft announced a flurry of hardware at its Surface event, but there was one very conspicuous omission: a new Surface Pro tablet. For the first time in a long while, a year will come and go without an updated version of Microsoft's most iconic computer. There haven't been any quiet spec bumps either. The Surface Pro 4 still starts at $899 with a Core m3 processor, 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, while higher-end models also have the same specs as before. But why did the company pass on the opportunity?

We've asked Microsoft if it can comment on the lack of changes and will let you know if it has something to add. However, it wouldn't be surprising if this is a matter of timing. Intel only just launched its seventh-generation Core processors at the tail end of August. That doesn't leave Microsoft a lot of time to integrate the new chips into shipping products, especially for a popular and highly customized system like the Surface Pro 4. It won't be surprising if there's a sequel in the months ahead. Still, that's not much consolation if you were hoping to buy a Pro with fresh specs before the year was out.

Click here to catch all the latest news from Microsoft's big Surface event.