Microsoft
A sign marks the Microsoft office in Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S. January 25, 2017. Reuters/Brian Snyder

The Microsoft Surface Phone is already a highly-anticipated device as the company has stated that it will be a device like none. It will change the way people think of smartphones. The Surface Phone will be released when it’s ready. It won’t be like other devices packing in crazy hardware and software to delight people. Instead, the smartphone will bring in a new way of communication, and the device will be more of an ultra-mobile PC with all smartphone capabilities. However, for that, Microsoft needs developer support.

According to Tech Times, rumours and leaks that are constantly circulating on the web have revealed that the Microsoft Surface Phone will likely be a phablet, with the same screen as the Nokia Lumia XL. Microsoft is rumoured to be developing three variants of the tech wonder. One will be targeted at the consumers while the other two at business professionals and enterprises. A Kickstand concept is also expected in the device. The Surface Phone could sport a 5.5-inch HD display with a resolution of 1440 x 2560 pixels.

The business variant may have a 6-inch screen. The Microsoft Surface Phone displays will likely have liquid cooling technology, of which little is known. While a 3,000mAh battery is expected to power the Surface Phone, it is not known if the variants will feature batteries of different capacities. A Snapdragon 835 or an Intel 14nm Kaby Lake processor is expected to power the device. The 64GB internal storage option may have a 4GB RAM and the 128GB variant a 6GB RAM.

If rumours turn out to be true, the third variant may sport a whopping 8GB RAM and 512GB internal storage. The Microsoft Surface Phone will run on the Windows 10 Redstone 3 update and may feature a stylus and keyboard cover like the Surface Pro. A fingerprint scanner will also be incorporated. The primary and secondary cameras in the three variants could be different. A 21MP primary and an 8MP secondary cameras are expected though in the basic variant. Microsoft has not yet revealed the release date and price of the Surface Phone.

It is unlikely to do so anytime now as Microsoft needs a lot more than standard smartphones to be released. While earlier reports had claimed a Q1 release, there is no concrete evidence of backing this claim. A 2018 release is also possible. While it is unknown how Microsoft will price the Surface Phone, tech experts believe the variants will be priced somewhere between US$750 (AU$980 approx) to US$1,200 (AU$1,600 approx).

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