The Microsoft Surface Phone Could Be The True ‘iPhone Killer’
In 2009, the release of the Palm Pre led to the popular praise “iPhone killer.” As the Inquisitr recently noted, Sprint truly thought it had a winner when they launched Palm’s new smartphone. Instead, mostly due to quality control issues, the Palm Pre was one of the biggest disasters in smartphone history.
Since then, the term “iPhone killer” has been thrown around like crazy, but Apple’s smartphone is still the leader in the marketplace. However, many believe that Microsoft is preparing a smartphone that can truly live up to its title. According to Trusted Reviews, the Surface Phone will run a full version of Windows 10.
“Microsoft has teamed up with Qualcomm to bring the full Windows 10 desktop experience to smartphones and other mobile devices, courtesy of Snapdragon chips. Microsoft has had very limited success with mobile, struggling to acquire any meaningful amount of market share.”
The article adds that Apple and Google are currently dominating the industry and that Microsoft is under huge pressure to deliver a successful smartphone. It adds that the Surface Phone could be released during the first half of 2016, will have a 5.7-inch display, and will cost as much as $1,100.
According to Forbes, Microsoft may launch the Surface Phone in order to boost revenues.
“However, with the rising popularity of its Surface devices, a case can be made that if Microsoft were to launch Surface Phones, targeting the premium segment of the market, it could capture a significant share in the market.”
The article adds that Microsoft will have a difficult time earning a significant portion of the smartphone market, especially given their past releases. More important is the fact that Apple and Samsung are still dominating the market, and they may continue to do so in 2017.
Many people are looking forward to the iPhone 8 in particular. According to CNET, Apple may finally add wireless charging to the iPhone.
“Samsung does it, and Apple is starting to, too. The wireless AirPods headphones may have been just the beginning. Next year’s iPhone could do away with the last physical wire: the Lightning cable needed for charging,” the article claims, adding that Apple will also introduce a new curved AMOLED display on the iPhone next year.
However, Microsoft will still have an advantage over the iPhone since Apple’s device runs a mobile operating system, not a full desktop system like the Surface Phone will allegedly run. Then again, smaller mobile devices running desktop operating systems haven’t been received well in the past. The 2006 Ultra Mobile PC led to failure for Microsoft, Samsung, and others.
The Samsung Galaxy S8 won’t run Windows, but is certainly a phone that could give Microsoft’s Surface Phone a lot of competition as well. According to Tech Radar, the S8 will not only get rid of the headphone jack (just like Apple did with the iPhone 7), but will produce a full 4K screen with no physical buttons. Samsung may add stereo speakers as well.
BGR talks about a new technology Samsung may use in its new display.
“Samsung will use next-generation panels that feature not just improved display capabilities, but also Y-OCTA technology. This notable new tech first debuted on the ill-fated Galaxy Note 7, which, as many will recall, features the best screen that has ever made its way to a smartphone.”
The article adds that Y-OCTA tech allows Samsung to embed touch sensors directly into the display instead of adding a separate touch layer — this is now most touch displays work. Samsung will likely release their new smartphone during the first quarter of 2017.
Which smartphone are you most looking forward to — the Microsoft Surface Phone, the iPhone 8, or the Samsung Galaxy S8? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.
[Featured Image by George Frey/Getty Images]
