Software giant Microsoft will hold a hardware and software event in New York City on May 2, but it is unlikely that a Surface Phone or any Surface Pro device will be unveiled.

According to a report in Verge on Wednesday, the software maker has started emailing out press invites after weeks of rumours over Microsoft's plans. The tech journalists attending the event are expecting the company to unveil at least one piece of new hardware.

"It's also possible Microsoft may take this opportunity to reveal the hardware design of its upcoming Xbox Project Scorpio, just ahead of its E3 event in June, or a successor to the Surface 3 which was designed with students in mind," the report noted.

If rumours are to be believed, Microsoft may unveil its Windows 10 Cloud operating system -- an alternative to Chrome OS that runs Universal Windows Apps.

This speculation stems from the fact that the event is codenamed "Bespin" -- a fictional Star Wars planet that includes a "Cloud City".

"Sources also tell that this event will be focused on education, so expect to see any hardware or software be connected to how it can be used in schools," the report added.