Last night, Microsoft slipped another event into an already crowded May schedule, announcing a May 23rd event in Shanghai, China. There’s little information to go on, with the initial announcement consisting of a single tweet:
We’re having another #MicrosoftEvent. May 23 in Shanghai. Stay tuned… pic.twitter.com/gcJcaz1SsI
— Microsoft (@Microsoft) May 5, 2017
The picture in question is from a popular hotel, dining and event space holding 800 in Shanghai’s Bund district, called The Waterhouse, so event goers should be treated well.
Immediately after the initial tweet, Microsoft’s Panos Panay tweeted with his own “see you in Shanghai” tweet:
See you in Shanghai. May 23. #MicrosoftEvent #Surface https://t.co/aMgvkkqE52 pic.twitter.com/vzcK9MqIpf
— Panos Panay (@panos_panay) May 5, 2017
which with the #Surface hashtag pretty much confirms that the event will be Surface related, at least in part. Microsoft has some history with hardware announcements in China, making the first stop of the Windows 8 Global launch tour in Shanghai in October of 2012, where it showed off the Surface RT, and also last December, where it announced 3rd party VR headsets using Microsoft’s Mixed Reality holographic platform at WinHEC in Shenzhen.
In an interview with Bloomberg Tech, Microsoft CVP Yusuf Mehdi mentioned a Surface Pro refresh, saying:
“…you might expect to see an update to the Surface Pro 4 coming soon.”
Microsoft watchers have been hearing about this refresh for quite some time, so it’s not totally unexpected, and still far too early for a new Surface Pro 5, according to reports.
Still, it seems like a long way to go to just introduce a refreshed Surface Pro 4, why not just include it at the May 2nd education event (or indeed why not introduce the Surface Laptop in China with whatever else is coming, and unshackle the new device from Windows 10 S)?
We’re working our Shanghai angles to bring you all the latest from the Bund District, and you can stay tuned to OnMSFT.com for all the latest on Surface, on Windows 10 S, and lots more. What do you think Microsoft will pull out of its hat in Shanghai?
