Microsoft Corp. has invited members of the press to attend an event on Oct. 2 in what’s predicted to be an unveiling of new Surface products along with the possibility of new cloud services.

The event, teased only with the statement “a moment of your time,” should see Microsoft reveal an updated version of the Surface Pro. The last model was released in May last year, although a report in June claimed that the new sixth-generation Pro might not be released until the middle of next year.

Ewan Spence at Forbes said the new Surface Pro will feature the latest chipsets, fast memory and improved wireless and 4G technology but will be an “iterative update with very few bells and whistles to jazz up the release.”

Possibly also on the cards for the event is an updated version of the Surface Laptop, which was revealed in May 2017 before going on sale a month later.

Given that the Surface Laptop was a new product in Microsoft’s lineup last year, it’s also unlikely to see any radical changes besides upgrades in processing power. One report claimed that the Surface Laptop will get an Intel 8th-generation processor and likely new USB-C ports. The previous version had a USB 3.0 port, Mini DisplayPort and Microsoft’s proprietary Surface Connect power and docking port.

Other possible reveals at the Oct. 2 event include new Surface-branded headphones, something described as its new “Modern Life Services” vision, more on the next version of Windows 10 and possibly some new cloud services.

Less likely but not impossible is Microsoft revealing updated versions of the Surface Studio and Surface Book. Ruled out completely by tech analysts: the long-fabled Surface Phone.

Rumors of Microsoft bringing a Surface phone to market go back as far as 2012, with variations popping up from time to time. The most recent rumor was floated in 2017, based on a Microsoft patent filing involved a foldable device.

TNW claimed that the device “is being significantly reworked and it’s likely we won’t see if for some time, if ever.” Mashable reported that “it’s time to give up on that dream” because “under Satya Nadella, it’s clear the company’s strategy is to get its software and services onto iOS and Android.”

Microsoft’s previous attempts in the smartphone industry were infamously a costly disaster. But on the flip side, its Surface range has been successful, especially at the premium end of the market. The Surface line proves that Microsoft has the skills to build decent hardware, but whether it can bring those skills to a phone or would risk doing so remains to be seen.

Image: Microsoft