Microsoft Surface Phone May Be In The Works
As earlier rumored, Microsoft may already be working on a Microsoft Surface Phone already. According to a Tech Times report, the Surface Phone, which also goes by the name Panos Phone, will be the first Windows 10 Mobile phone and may be arriving late next year.
The report cites Windows Central as its source that said that earlier plans to build an all-metal phone with an Intel processor were scrapped. This phone was supposed to have been released by the middle of next year. The source said that Microsoft's CEO Satya Nadella has changed the team responsible for developing the Windows 10 Mobile flagship phone from the Nokia team to the Surface division which is headed by Panos Panay, thus the name of the phone.
According to the report, the phone's prototype is being tested at the Redmond, Washington headquarters of Microsoft. The source for this is an earlier report from Wired where a new prototype is said to be under development in Building 87 of the Redmond campus.
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Earlier rumors about the device's specs cite that it will be powered by an Intel chip. It is also said to be equipped with Microsoft Continuum and USB Type-C.
The report also cited that the chip maker Intel is heavily involved in the process and it is rumored that because of this involvement, the upcoming Surface Phone may be powered by Intel's x86 chipsets rather than the chipsets of Qualcomm. If this report is true, the Surface Phone may turn out to be more like a pocket PC, than just a smartphone.
Consumers who already love the Surface line of devices, especially the recent Surface Book and the Surface Pro 4, are said to be looking forward to a smaller Surface Phone. Having a smartphone that runs on Windows 10 allows for better productivity and integration especially for those who already work with the Windows 10 ecosystem.
Despite this clamor for a Surface Phone however, reports are saying that Microsoft is not in a hurry to release one. One report points to an August 2016 release while another even says it will not happen until October when Microsoft traditionally unveils its Surface line of devices.
Microsoft has yet to confirm any of these reports but corporate vice president Joe Belfiore had earlier tipped of a "premium phone" that will "serve the same purpose as the rest of the devices in the Surface line."
