Apple may be dominating the tech headlines when it comes to new laptops, but Microsoft isn't far behind with the expected launch of the Surface Book 2.

Previous rumors suggest that Microsoft will be introducing the Surface Book 2 sometime this year. With reports stating that the device will come with a new Intel Kaby Lake processor, the 2016 release is highly likely as the chipset will start shipping late this year.

There are also reports stating that Microsoft might even take more time to release the device, with 2017 as a more feasible year. The device is also expected to have Windows 10 Redstone 2 onboard as its operating system but this OS won't be available until next year. The release date for Surface Book 2 is still uncertain but more updates about it are expected to be dropped in the coming months.

Meanwhile, the highlight of the rumors surrounding the Surface Book 2 is that the device will come with significant improvements to its hinge, which was a major issue for a lot of Surface Book owners who got their device last year.

As reported by BGR, a lot of people weren't happy when they found out that Surface Book's fulcrum hinge created an unpleasant gap. Microsoft may have heard the pleas from its customers, which is why a newly designed hinge might be seen in the device's successor.

According to several reports, the Redmond-based company allegedly redesigned the device, so as to make the keyboard and display evenly aligned once the laptop is closed. While this may be good news for those who have been bothered by this very gap, it's still unclear how the company will make this possible while retaining the fulcrum hinge design.

Apart from the aforementioned new updates, Surface Book 2 is also likely to come with new USB 3.1 ports, which will be supported by the alleged Kaby Lake chipset. The laptop is also assumed to have a better graphics processing unit on board so it can feature 3D and 4K display.