Microsoft Surface Phone: What to Expect

The Microsoft Surface Phone was expected in as early as mid-2015. A first alleged photo came at the end of 2016, and 2017 was thought to be the official release of the new smartphone. However, it seems that the device's release date may be pushed back even further.

History. In mid-2015, the Surface chief Panos Panay was transferred to head of engineering for the company's premium devices including Lumia Windows smartphones. Many wondered if he would make a Surface Phone.

International Business Times reported that in December 2016, a leak of an unknown Windows 10 phone with Surface branding came out. This led many to believe that the Microsoft Surface Phone will come by 2017.

In the past, the Redmond-based tech giant had limited success with their mobile devices. The company could very well be under a lot of pressure considering how popular the Surface Pro 2-in-1 devices have been. Big mobile names such as Apple, Samsung, and Google will be the Surface Phone's top competitors.

Release Date. This is perhaps the main reason why the Surface Phone is taking longer than expected. While many had been hopeful for an early 2017 release at MWC, Windows Report has reported that respected tech journalist Mary Jo Foley has officially confirmed that the new smartphone will likely launch in late 2017 or 2018. This is a very long time to wait, but hopefully, it will be well worth it.

"Ultimate Mobile Device." Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella told fans in December that the Surface Phone will be "the ultimate mobile device." Tech Advisor reported that a leak suggests that the smartphone will be a miniature version of the Surface tablet. It is expected to have 5.5 AMOLED display with a 1440 x 2560-pixel Quad-HD resolution.

The smartphone is also expected to have 4 GB of RAM, 64 and 128 GB of storage, and a microSD card slot. In addition, the leak also indicated that the Microsoft Surface Phone will feature a 64-bit Intel processor and a 21 MP rear-facing camera, while the front-facing camera will be 8 MP.

A more recent leak has revealed that the Surface Phone could have as much as 8 GB of RAM and a huge 512 GB of internal storage. There have also been reports that the smartphone will use the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor which is expected to launch soon. The Samsung Galaxy S8 is foreseen to be the first mobile phone to have the processor in April.

The Microsoft Surface Phone could be pretty much anything at this point. However, we can all expect that it will be amazing or at least it will try to be. The Redmond-based tech giant seems to be putting their reputation on the line for this phone and hopefully, it will be as successful as the Surface Pro tablets. What do you think about the Surface Phone? Share your thoughts and comments below.