Despite IOS and Android still being the dominant players in the smartphone OS market, Microsoft remains keen to tap into the smartphone industry’s potential by expanding its range of Windows mobile phones.
The new Windows phone, that has been dubbed the ‘Surface Phone’, has been a hotly discussed topic for some time now, but is still yet to materialise. Microsoft launched its range of Surface 2-in-1 laptops back in 2012 and, since then, there has been a great deal of talk about a Surface Phone being realised. Often, Microsoft has denied these rumours and continued only to produce further Lumia devices. However, the rumours and leaks have continued and it looks likely that that company are working on a Surface Phone Project. The Surface Phone is expected to be a more premium range device, and as powerful as a computer. We take a look at the rumours surrounding the Surface Phone…
Many of the rumours being widely circulated suggested that the Surface Phone would be released this year. However, after the device failed to appear at Microsoft’s 2016 BUILD conference, this began to look unlikely. Several reports from Windows Central, which quote sources close to the matter, suggest that the company intend to wait until Spring next year to release their new smartphone. Disappointing news for the impatient amongst us.
Instead of the one model initially expected, it is now thought that three different versions of the Surface Phone will be released: a business model, a consumer model and an ‘enthusiast’ model, which is rumoured to be a high-spec version of the phone created for tech geeks. As yet, there have not been any details released regarding the specs for each of the devices or what the exact differences between the three models will be.
Originally, the Windows 10 ‘Redstone’ update, which is also known as the Anniversary update, was linked to the release of the Surface Phone, but this now looks to have changed. The updated software is indeed expected to offer new features for mobile, but the next two versions of the OS, Redstone 2 and 3, are expected to focus more on mobile innovation. These next two versions of the OS are not expected until next year, which coincides with the rumoured launch date for the Surface Phone. Aided by the new versions of the OS, the Surface Phone is expected to be marketed as the most secure phone of the planet. It will also be promoted as the best smartphone for productivity, which is sure to make it a hot seller in the business mobiles market.
It is rumoured that Intel has heavy involvement in the development of Microsoft’s new phone and is allegedly working with the company to enable Windows desktop x86 compatibility. This would go some way towards solving the issue of app availability that has plagued the Windows phone for years now. Although the Lumia 950 range does offer some x86 apps compatibility via Continuum, there is currently no way of using them natively. It is alleged that the intention of Microsoft is to create a viable alternative to a PC with the Surface Phone.
For now, nothing is official and so all of this could change between now and the rumoured Spring 2017 release date. Watch this space for more information.
If you’re looking for productivity-enhancing business mobiles, contact us at Midland Networks today on 0800 849 8585.
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