Microsoft Releases Invites For Its October 6 Windows 10 Hardware Event

As expected, Microsoft will host a hardware-focused event on October 6. The company released invites this morning.

The shindig may include news concerning the HoloLens ‘nerd helmet,’ the long-expected Surface Pro 4, the Microsoft Band 2, and, of course, new Lumia smartphone handsets¹. Here’s an extract from the invite as it came today:

The event should give Microsoft a shot to demonstrate its vision for how Windows 10 and new generations of hardware will work together. A key Microsoft pitch concerning its new operating system is that it functions across screen sizes, using a single code base to work on every user device. That in mind, how Microsoft presents new hardware will underline how it thinks that other OEMs should operate in a post-Windows 8.1 world.

(That some OEMs are now mimicking the Surface form factor is notable, of course. It could indicate that Microsoft’s effort to lead its partners forward in hardware design is working.)

Expectations are — based on the already-active rumor mill concerning the event — somewhat high. If Microsoft merely debuts the Surface Pro 4, I think it would be a disappointment; that point is doubly true when you consider how long it has been since a new flagship Lumia handset was released; and that latter point is squared when set next to the fact that Windows 10 for smartphones isn’t out yet.

TechCrunch will be at the event.

^{1 Current group consensus is that the Surface Pro 4 will look similar to the Surface Pro 3, but will be potentially faster, lighter, and thinner. Expect a spate of Hot Takes comparing it to the newly announced iPad Pro when it is announced.}