It seems like Microsoft fans have had enough with the Redmond-based tech giant’s seemingly disinterested strategy with the Surface Phone. Just recently, an online petition was started by fans of Microsoft to call on the company to finally make the long-rumored yet never-confirmed device a reality. As of writing, the Change.org petition as 8,695 signatures, and it is growing by the day.
The Surface Phone is rumored to be the device that would enable Microsoft to re-enter the mobile phone market. The cryptic Surface device has been in the rumor mill for years, and so far, Microsoft has yet to confirm that they are working on a handset. What Microsoft did do, however, was state that if ever it does enter the mobile industry again, it would be through a device that is in a class far different than its competitors.
Patents about a mysterious device emerged over the past few months, with the documents indicating that Microsoft was looking to develop a handset that could transform between a tablet and a smartphone. Using a clever mechanism that features a display mounted on a hinge, the device, which is widely rumored to be the Surface Phone, would be able to fold in and out to take various forms and adopt different functionalities. The name of the device was not mentioned in Microsoft’s patents, but its design elements, such as its phone capabilities, seem to be a dead ringer for the Surface Phone.
Andromeda and Surface Phone declared dead once again – https://t.co/mpS0DjIgDs pic.twitter.com/ArQ1j3AVzv
— MSPoweruser (@mspoweruser) July 6, 2018
As noted in a TechRadar report, the device’s operating system has also been making the rounds online. When Microsoft’s Windows 10 17672 SDK was released, references were found for “Factory OS Andromeda,” a system that is widely connected to the company’s mysterious handset.
In a lot of ways, re-entering the smartphone industry with a powerful productivity device would be a strategic move for Microsoft. The smartphone market, after all, is on the cusp of change, with the handsets’ current design already being pushed to the limits. Rumors are abounding that manufacturers such as Samsung are looking to expand into foldable phones with the Galaxy X, but even that device appears to be perenially delayed. Thus, there is a very real market for the Surface Phone — one that could prove to be a goldmine for Microsoft, provided that the company can pull off a mobile system that runs completely compatible to Windows 10. If Microsoft can do this, Apple and Samsung might have another brand to worry about.
