Surface Phone News 2017: What Microsoft Could Learn From The Surface Mini And Its Past Failures

The year is well at its midpoint, and there is still no sign of the highly anticipated and long-rumored Surface Phone. Since the recent release of the Surface Pro 2017, rumors have been abounding that the speculated Surface-branded smartphone has already been canceled, especially considering Microsoft’s silence about the device.

If recent leaks and Microsoft’s statements are any indication, however, it seems like the Redmond-based tech giant is still trying to work on a competitor in the smartphone space. CEO Satya Nadella himself previously declared that the tech giant is preparing to release an “ultimate mobile device,” that would effectively change the smartphone landscape, according to a Windows Central report. So far, however, no such smartphone has been debuted by the tech giant, which is quite unfortunate, considering that there is sufficient interest in the Surface Phone.

If any, Microsoft’s hesitation to release the Surface Phone at this point might be due to its past failures in the mobile industry. Over the years, Microsoft has made a lot of missteps, including its acquisition and eventual release of the Nokia brand and Windows 10 Mobile. As revealed in a recent Forbes report, however, Microsoft seems to be steadily maturing as a tech manufacturer, even going so far as canceling a device’s release so that it could prevent another potential mistake.

Over the past weekend, images emerged showing what appears to be a smaller Surface Pro device. Dubbed the Surface Mini, the miniature version of the popular hybrid machine featured an eight-inch 1440×1080 display, a Snapdragon 800 processor, a measly 1GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. The hybrid was supposed initially slated for a release alongside the Surface Pro 3.

The device, which was heavily focused on note-taking, would likely have been a failure, seeing as it was horribly unbalanced in specs and was entirely dependent on Windows RT, an operating system that Microsoft eventually abandoned. Had Microsoft released the device, it could have damaged its Surface series’ reputation, and plunged the company even further into hardware obscurity.

If any, the fact that the Surface Mini was ultimately canceled all but showed that Microsoft has the capability to have enough foresight to stop itself from making a grave misstep. A device with so many compromises, after all, has no place in a company that is aiming to make its mark in the tech hardware industry.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella’s statements about the Surface Phone must be taken by the Redmond-based tech giant to heart. For the Surface Phone to be a success, Microsoft must be unwilling to make any compromises, in both hardware and software.

[Featured Image by Bebeto Matthews/AP Images]