Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) has not abandoned mobile phone, but it is looking “at different forms and functions for mobile devices.” This is what CEO Satya Nadella told shareholders at the company’s annual meeting at the end of the last year.
In November, Nadella told the Australia Financial Review that the tech giant is working on the “ultimate mobile device.”
So, rumors suggest that the Redmond firm is quietly building a smartphone under its Surface brand. The most-anticipated phone is being called the Surface Phone. It will be powered by Windows 10 Redstone operating system.
Here is what we so far know about the Surface Phone.
Microsoft Surface Phone Rumors
Rumors indicate that the Surface Phone will come in three variants. There is expected to be a consumer model, a business model, and an enthusiast dition.
The Surface Phone is rumored to feature a ClearBlack AMOLED display. It is expected to be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 835, with up to 6 GB random access memory.
The Surface Phone might feature a 20 megapixel rear camera with a Carl Zeiss lens. It might come with an 8MP front camera.
The Surface Phone will support Win32 apps. This feature could make the phone very attractive for business and professional users.
Moreover, rumors suggest that the Surface Phone will have a unique fingerprint. The company filed a patent for a fingerprint built into the screen.
The smartphone would feature a 3.5mm audio jack and a Type-C USB port at the bottom.
Price and Launch Date
The Surface Phone is expected to be an expensive device. Reports suggest that the base model model will start at $699, while the high-end model would be sold at $1100.
We expect that Microsoft will release official details about the Surface Phone sometime in the first half. New rumors suggest that the Surface Phone will be unveiled late 2017.