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Microsoft hardware event: start time, live blog, and streaming for the announcements

Microsoft hardware event: start time, live blog, and streaming for the announcements

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2015 was a good year for Microsoft. Windows 10 launched to general praise, the Xbox One gained ground on the PlayStation 4, HoloLens surprised the tech community with a fresh take on mixed reality, and the NFL's Surfaces finally look like they belong on the sidelines. The company has momentum. Over the next few months and years, Microsoft will make further strides to bring its hardware together under the Windows 10 umbrella, beginning with today's big product event.

We expect to see Microsoft's latest mobile hardware, the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL, along with new features for Windows 10 Mobile. Both phones will likely include Windows Hello, an option to log in to the phone with facial recognition. Continuum, which promises to make Windows 10 Mobile phones into miniature PCs, may be the other big feature of the day. Like so many recently announced smartphones, expect these to be bigger, faster, and with better cameras.

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Plan for announcements involving the Surface Pro 4, which now has a competitor in Apple's iPad Pro. The new screen could be 4K or even 5K, and will likely play nicely with an improved stylus. Microsoft has said the updated Surface Pro will work with older accessories, so don't expect a significantly new look.

Other than the Lumia and Surface hardware, we're predicting updates on the Microsoft Band 2, along with some surprises involving the rest of the Surface line and Xbox One. The video game consoles will get Windows 10 in November, and the event could be a chance to show some of the new features.

How to watch

Starting time: San Francisco: 7:00AM / New York: 10:00AM / London: 3:00PM / Berlin 4:00PM / Moscow: 6:00PM / Beijing: 10:00PM / Tokyo: 11:00PM / Sydney 1:00AM (October 7th)

Live blog: Tune into The Verge's live blog for up-to-the-second updates, commentary, and pictures directly from the venue.

Live streaming: Microsoft's live stream is available via Microsoft.com. According to Microsoft, the event will also stream on Xbox consoles.

Live tweeting: Follow @Verge on Twitter for the latest headlines and specs as they emerge.

Event previews

Microsoft's Surface Pro 4 and Lumia event: what to expect

Microsoft prepares for a flood of Windows 10 devices

Microsoft buys physics engine behind Halo and Call of Duty

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Microsoft: Surface Pro 4