Surface Phone Rumors Rekindled After Microsoft CEO Tease: Latest Specs, Release Date, And Features

Rumors about the Surface Phone have been rekindled this week, after the device appeared to be teased by none other than Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella himself. While the CEO did not officially confirm the existence or the development of the mobile device, Nadella did state that once Microsoft enters the mobile market once more, it would be with a device that can stand tall amidst the intense competition in the smartphone industry.

The CEO’s statements, taken from an interview with the Australian Financial Review, appeared to assure the tech giant’s supporters that Microsoft is hard at work in ensuring that the firm would have a significant presence in the smartphone market in the near future. While the CEO did not specifically describe the steps that the company is taking in order to achieve its goals, Nadella did reference the “ultimate mobile device,” which is set to bring something completely new to the market.

“We don’t want to be driven by just envy of what others have, the question is, what can we bring? That’s where I look at any device form factor or any technology, even A.I. We will continue to be in the phone market not as defined by today’s market leaders, but by what it is that we can uniquely do in what is the most ultimate mobile device.”

Considering that the smartphone market is hyper competitive and is already over-saturated with devices using Android and iOS, there still exists a number of innovative windows that Microsoft could take advantage of. Over the years, the smartphone market has somewhat stagnated, with newer devices simply being equipped with more advanced versions of the same features. Apple has done this successfully with the iPhone for years, launching phones with incremental upgrades year after year. Even premiere Android smartphone makers such as Samsung have done the same with its Galaxy S and Note line, with largely similar results.

Thus, Microsoft’s decision to make the rumored Surface Phone into a device that offers something unique for consumers is something that is both bold and admirable. While consumers largely reject devices with concepts that are far too radical, such as the LG G5, numerous smartphone fans have been lamenting for years that the mobile market has reached a plateau and is in need of something new and fresh. If Microsoft could properly strike a balance between innovative usability and a compelling, unique design, the Surface Phone might very well be the surprise hit of 2017.

Rumors of a Surface Phone have been emerging on the internet for some time now, with numerous speculations surrounding the upcoming device. After the success of the Surface Pro line of devices and the failure of Microsoft’s efforts to capitalize on Nokia’s smartphone business, many believed that the only way for the tech giant to make significant waves in the mobile segment was to adopt the Surface brand and build its own smartphone from the ground up.

Such a strategy has worked well for Microsoft in recent years, with its current products such as the Surface Pro 4 being the golden standard for hybrid devices, the Surface Book being one of the finest Windows laptops in the market, and the Surface Studio breaking new ground in the world of All-in-One PCs. With this in mind, the decision to use the Surface brand to market its flagship mobile phone would be very beneficial for Microsoft, considering the prestige that the Surface name has gained over the years.

Speculations about the Surface Phone’s specs are abounding, with the latest rumors pointing to a powerful device that would most likely feature a 7th-generation Intel processor or Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon 835 chip. Neither of these rumors has been confirmed, but both do point to the notion that Microsoft’s flagship smartphone would most likely feature the best processor that the industry can offer. Other speculations point to the Surface Phone being launched with three variants, with entry-level variant featuring 4GB RAM and 128GB of storage, a mid-level version featuring 6GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, and a top-tier version equipped with a massive 8GB of RAM and a whopping 512GB of storage.

While these rumored specs seem a bit excessive, they are plausible nonetheless, mainly due to the Surface Phone’s alleged killer feature — a refined version of Continuum. Continuum, a feature that allows users to plug the smartphone to an external monitor and essentially transform the device into a full-fledged PC, has been introduced in previous models such as the Lumia 950. The feature was widely panned by critics when it was launched, however, with many stating that Continuum just seemed too unrefined and sluggish when it was introduced. Despite this, the idea of turning a smartphone into a fully-fledged laptop-grade device is still a novel idea. Considering the Surface Phone’s rumored specs, it seems possible that Microsoft might be going for a smoother Continuum feature.

The release date for the device has not been officially announced by Microsoft, though speculations are split between a Q1 2017 and an April 2017 release date. While the exact date remains unknown, however, the Surface Phone is widely expected to be launched alongside the Surface Pro 5 and the Surface Book 2, both of which are also speculated to be launched within the first half of 2017.

Microsoft’s mobile ventures and Windows 10 Mobile are far from over. Despite numerous speculations stating that the platform has died due to the consistent failures of previous flagship devices, the story might be different once the Surface Phone enters the market. The Surface Phone, built from the ground up to be used with Windows Mobile and carrying all the latest features from the tech giant, might very well be the device that would make the biggest splash in the smartphone market next year. The smartphone industry badly needs a game-changing device, and if rumors prove true about its specs and features, the Surface Phone might very well be the right product for the job.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nx4KwV1Ob6c

[Featured Image by Mat Hayward/Getty Images]