Microsoft is sending out invites for a big announcement event

These past few months have been filled with rumors about Microsoft’s upcoming smartphones, and it looks like the company is finally gearing up for an official announcement. Known as the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL, these flagships are expected to herald a new generation of Windows-powered mobile devices, as they’ll be the first new smartphones to come with Windows 10 Mobile. A rumor from earlier this week claims that they’ll be officially launched on October 10th (or 10/10), but Microsoft has started sending out invitations for a big press event on October 6th, which suggests that the company will be unveiling them then, before launching them a few days later. On top of the two smartphones, Microsoft is expected to unveil the new Surface Pro 4 tablet and the Microsoft Band 2. 

Microsoft sent invitations to press and analysts for the upcoming event, which will be held at Skylight at Moynihan Station, near the former Farley Post Office across from Penn Station. (That Fifth Avenue New York City flagship Microsoft Store, unsurprisingly, isn’t quite ready yet, it seems.) While the invitations don’t detail which new products Microsoft will unveil at the launch, tipsters have said Surface Pro 4, Band 2 and the new “Cityman” and “Talkman” premium Lumia phones (expected to be christened Lumia 950 and 950 XL) will be the stars of the Microsoft hardware show. I doubt any of the new Microsoft hardware will be available on October 6. I’ve heard from some contacts that the Surface Pro 4 tablets are likely to ship some time in November, still in time for the holiday season. I’d expect the Lumia phones and Bands also to be out in time for holiday. While information, including the likely specs, of the new Lumia premium phones have leaked, little has leaked about the Surface Pro 4 and/or new Microsoft fitness band. Some of us have been hearing Surface Pro 4 will be a faster, thinner and lighter update to the Surface Pro 3. It will basically be the same form factor, with a smaller bezel, making the screen feel larger, one of my contacts told me recently. We’re all expecting Intel’s new Skylake processors to be what’s inside. Hopefully we’ll also see some improvements to the Type keyboard and a way to use the existing Surface Pro docks with the new devices.