Surface gets batter y boost

NEW YORK (AP) – Microsoft is refreshing its Surface Pro tablet with longer battery life and faster processors.

The new, fifth-generation device – simply called Surface Pro – won’t look or feel drastically different from its predecessor. But Microsoft is hoping its under-the-hood improvements will help it compete with newer laptop-tablet hybrids from Samsung and others. Not to mention Apple’s iPad Pro.

The Redmond, Washington, company made the announcement Tuesday in Shanghai, China, in its first Surface launch outside New York. It’s a reflection of the company’s expectations of growth among a population that prizes premium gadgets from American brands.

Microsoft pioneered laptop- tablet hybrids, also known as 2in-1s, with the original Surface in 2012. A keyboard cover turns the tablet into a laptop. But innovation has slowed down since 2014, when the Surface Pro 3 got a fully adjustable kickstand to give the screen a broader range of viewing angles, similar to real laptops. Before, the kickstand was limited to just two angles.

Meanwhile, other companies have made their own 2-in-1 devices running Microsoft’s Windows 10. That success contributed to a 26 percent revenue decline in the Surface business in the most recent quarter. And competition is growing; Samsung released new Galaxy Book models this week, while Huawei announced one Tuesday in Berlin.