Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) is rumored to launch a cool Windows-10 smartphone this year under its Surface brand. Tech watchers believe that the software giant will reveal a handset called the Surface Phone along with the Xbox Project Scorpio in Holiday 2017.
The Surface Phone would be aimed at business and corporate users. It would be better than all of the previous Windows phones. The Surface Phone is expected to be a strong competitor for the iPhone, Samsung Galaxy S8, and Google Pixel, according to the rumors mill.
Last year, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella told shareholders that the company has not abandoned mobile phone business, rather it is looking “at different forms and functions for mobile devices.” The CEO in November 2016 told the Australia Financial Review that Microsoft is building the “ultimate mobile device.”
Microsoft has yet to release information about the Surface Phone. Here is everything we know so far about the Surface Phone.
Microsoft Surface Phone Specs, News, Features
The Surface Phone is said to come in three different models. We might see a consumer model, a business phone, and a special edition handset.
The Surface Phone is rumored to feature a 5.5 AMOLED display with a 1440×2560 pixel Quad-HD resolution, according to a report from PC Advisor reported. The report also suggests that the Surface Phone could have a 4GB of RAM with 64- or 128GB of storage.
Rumors claim that Microsoft is considering Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 chipset for the Surface Phones. The Phone is said to run Win32 apps. Moreover, it has speculated that the new Windows phone will have a stylish pen and a keyboard to make professional more productive.
The Surface Phone might get a 21 megapixel (MP) rear camera with a Carl Zeiss lens. It is rumored to feature an 8 MP front camera for taking selfies and making Skype calls.
Microsoft filed a patent about a fingerprint built into the screen. We expect that unique fingerprint to feature in the Phone.
Microsoft has no plans to ditch the headphone jack from its future phones. So, it is safe to assume that the Surface Phone will have a 3.5mm audio jack as well as a Type-C USB port at the bottom.
Microsoft Surface Phone Price
Based on rumored specs and design, we expect that the Surface Phone would be an expensive handset.
Reports from different sources claim that the lower-end model Surface Phone would start at $699, while the higher-end model would get a price tag of $1100.
Microsoft Surface Phone Release Date
As far as the launch date of the Surface Phone is concerned, we expect that Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) will not release the Surface Phone this year.
Many reports claim that Microsoft is preparing to launch the Surface Phone in the fourth quarter of 2017. But we think it is highly unlikely.
In our opinion, Microsoft would unveil the Surface Phone in the first quarter of 2018.
What do you think about the Surface Phone release date? Please comment.