Report: Microsoft Surface Phone to launch in the second half of 2016

posted by Alan F.

Dec 02, 2015, 6:32 PM

Report: Microsoft Surface Phone to launch in the second half of 2016

According to a report published today, the long-rumored Microsoft Surface Phone will finally be launched in the second-half of 2016. The phone will be designed by Surface chief Panos Panay and his team of engineers. These are the same guys that built the Surface Pro tablet line, and the new Surface Book.

Sources say that the Microsoft Surface Phone replaces a metal-clad, Intel-powered phone that would have been driven by Windows 10. Today's report calls the cancelled device a carryover from Microsoft's purchase of Nokia Devices and Services. That phone was allegedly going to be released next May.

Some insiders have theorized that Microsoft's lack of a more widespread carrier release for the Microsoft Lumia 950 and Microsoft Lumia 950 XL in the U.S., is related to the desire of the powers that be at Microsoft to build a Surface Phone. That includes CEO Satya Nadella, and Surface head Panay. This could also explain why the company isn't spending big bucks to market its new flagship phones.

Previous rumors say that the Surface Phone will focus on productivity, not specs. It will be considered a flagship model and will be powered by a Snapdragon 820 chipset, and will use the advanced cooling technique used by the Lumia 950 XL.

source: WindowsCentral

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38 Comments

1. Commentator

Posts: 3723; Member since: Aug 16, 2011

Neat!

posted on Dec 02, 2015, 6:37 PM 0

26. yann

Posts: 614; Member since: Jul 15, 2010

Second half of 2016 means end of the year. Will be late. That mean another year without flagship. 950's are disgrace.

posted on Dec 02, 2015, 10:53 PM 1

27. Cheezwiz

Posts: 500; Member since: Dec 29, 2014

950s are just fine. don't like them, don't buy them. doesn't change the fact that there's a market for them (however small that might be).

posted on Dec 03, 2015, 12:21 AM 2

29. Ashoaib

Posts: 3309; Member since: Nov 15, 2013

yes please dont like them and dont buy them, windows 10 is still far from a finished product... huge app gap is still there... camera lead is over. LG G4, V10, GS6, Edge, Note 5, Nexus 6p and 5X are equally capable in camera if not better... I am using windows 10, it is good but feels slow... there are some bugs. Sometime apps close down during opening without a reason. Keyboard doesnt pop up some time and I have to manually pop it up. Some time keyboard went down and pop up back without any reason... However, sd card is managed better then on android... interface also feels pretty solid and better than android and ios... 80% of apps I use frequently are missing on windows... I dont want fb, instagram and other similar chating apps, but I do care about shipment tracking apps, banking apps, productivity tools and maps. Email attachments is also monotonous task, task windows keep on working although files get attached, sometime need to manually close it. Microsoft maps made me feel like ios maps, which is pretty much useless and slow... If you are an avid android or ios user, than you will feel like there is a lot missing and in matter of few days you will start feeling bored OR you have to keep two phones... if you dont use your phone much except calling, messaging, photo and face book then it doesnt matter OR if you are new to smart phones and not attuned with android and ios then again its ok to waste money on Lumia 950 & XL... the price microsft is asking for these devices is not justified at all

posted on Dec 03, 2015, 2:28 AM 2

40. elitewolverine

Posts: 5192; Member since: Oct 28, 2013

I would respond with more....however win10 has about as many bugs as current release of android. Hell my daily job is fixing android mess ups....all day...you can keep it ;) There is a package tracker, a good one too Banking apps, meh, my browser does everything but deposit a check, and considering the banking apps have proven in recent reports to be the most insecure things on your phone, you can have that too. (I want check deposit...though I rarely rarely need it) Email attachments is hard? Seriously? hit reply, hit paperclip, select location...boom, hell even supports apps like TotalCommander for file apps. App gap IS THERE. But if you need more than 600k apps, then yes it is not for you. Anything I 'neeed' from android can be accomplished on my much cheaper tablet. I don't need a note 5. Very few people I know do everything solely on their phone. I rather have a surface with a windows phone in tow, than android tablet with android phone in tow. or etc...because once I have windows, I can get any android app I 'neeeed'.

posted on Dec 06, 2015, 5:52 PM 1

31. sgtdisturbed47

Posts: 974; Member since: Feb 02, 2012

Or, if you like them and can't buy them because they're not on Verizon then it's easy to ignore them. Same with Surface Phone, it'll mainly be on AT&T.

posted on Dec 03, 2015, 2:49 AM 1

34. o7o

Posts: 114; Member since: Jun 26, 2009

Every company has a 1 year cycle for their flagships! iPhone, Galaxy..etc, why is it wrong for Microsoft to do the same?

posted on Dec 03, 2015, 5:42 AM 1

2. Tziggy14

Posts: 626; Member since: Sep 02, 2014

They're wasting resources. It doesn't matter what kind of phone it is as long as the app gap still exists.

posted on Dec 02, 2015, 6:43 PM 4

9. sip1995

Posts: 1771; Member since: Feb 07, 2014

They want to make something new and innovate, so your statement is wrong.

posted on Dec 02, 2015, 7:08 PM 0

14. NoToFanboys

Posts: 3231; Member since: Oct 03, 2015

Great phone = more buyers More buyers = more app devs interested Do not think for a second that you are smarter than the people inside Microsoft.

posted on Dec 02, 2015, 7:36 PM 0

20. xq10xa

Posts: 810; Member since: Dec 07, 2010

I don't know about that......alot of people seem smarter than Microsoft when it comes to phones. This is why they are where they are...just saying...they aren't even close to the top dogs.

posted on Dec 02, 2015, 8:38 PM 3

30. Ashoaib

Posts: 3309; Member since: Nov 15, 2013

We dont think we are smart than people inside microsoft... But it seems like that we are smarter than them... you are right more buyers = more developers and apps... but microsoft seems not understanding it, thats why they are selling lumia 950/xl in a ridiculously high price, instead of selling it in throw away price and made as many people as possible to take it... They cannot make a bugger without fries, ketchup, double in price of Bugger King and expect people and devs to come to them instead of Bugger King

posted on Dec 03, 2015, 2:40 AM 0

36. xq10xa

Posts: 810; Member since: Dec 07, 2010

Ha! Bugger.

posted on Dec 03, 2015, 9:55 AM 0

37. xq10xa

Posts: 810; Member since: Dec 07, 2010

What's crazy is that companies like BLU and One Plus are probably selling 5X as much phones as someone like Microsoft is.

posted on Dec 03, 2015, 9:56 AM 0

3. Drsarcastic

Posts: 136; Member since: Jul 23, 2014

So you say that it will be powered by an intel processor, but in the same article you go ahead and say it will be powered by the 820? What?

posted on Dec 02, 2015, 6:44 PM 0

4. Commentator

Posts: 3723; Member since: Aug 16, 2011

"Sources say that the Microsoft Surface Phone REPLACES an (sic) metal-clad, Intel-powered phone that would have been driven by Windows 10." (Capitalization added for emphasis.)

posted on Dec 02, 2015, 6:51 PM 2

5. promise7

Posts: 894; Member since: Jul 03, 2013

The Intel powered device was cancelled, and the Surface phone replaces it. "Sources say that the Microsoft Surface Phone replaces an metal-clad, Intel-powered phone that would have been driven by Windows 10. Today's report calls the cancelled device a carryover from Microsoft's purchase of Nokia Devices and Services."

posted on Dec 02, 2015, 6:55 PM 0

6. promise7

Posts: 894; Member since: Jul 03, 2013

Excited to see this phone. I like the design and direction of both the Surface Book, and Surface Pro tablets so hopefully this follows suit.

posted on Dec 02, 2015, 6:57 PM 0

7. Emmanuelz

Posts: 222; Member since: Aug 01, 2013

No apps.

posted on Dec 02, 2015, 6:59 PM 2

11. sip1995

Posts: 1771; Member since: Feb 07, 2014

The point here is about the EXE programs....NOT just apps.

posted on Dec 02, 2015, 7:10 PM 3

13. Emmanuelz

Posts: 222; Member since: Aug 01, 2013

No apps no sale

posted on Dec 02, 2015, 7:27 PM 1

33. sip1995

Posts: 1771; Member since: Feb 07, 2014

Don't feed the troll........

posted on Dec 03, 2015, 4:21 AM 1

8. jellmoo

Posts: 2678; Member since: Oct 31, 2011

Um... The source article says that Intel is still involved. It doesn't even mention the SD 820...

posted on Dec 02, 2015, 7:08 PM 0

12. sip1995

Posts: 1771; Member since: Feb 07, 2014

Typical PA, what you expect...

posted on Dec 02, 2015, 7:11 PM 0

15. Alan01

Posts: 662; Member since: Mar 21, 2012

If you click on the highlighted part of the story, you'll see that the SD820 reference came from another one of our stories. Regards, Alan F.

posted on Dec 02, 2015, 7:38 PM 0

16. jellmoo

Posts: 2678; Member since: Oct 31, 2011

I get that, but it makes the article a little confusing considering that seems like old information (from a month ago) as opposed to the latest info. Maybe it's the wording or just my understanding, but it doesn't really jive with crux of the latest story.

posted on Dec 02, 2015, 7:46 PM 0

10. MrElectrifyer

Posts: 3960; Member since: Oct 21, 2014

As long as the app and versatility gap exists, still won't be touch a Windows Phone...unless Panos Panay does something crazy innovative (beyond meh looks) that brings the Surface Phone closer to this dream phone: www.pcworld.com/article/2907539/this-fake-microsoft-surface-phone-is-the-flagship-smartphone-we-want.html Really want the Windows Mobile platform to take off, but Microsoft has a lot of work to do.

posted on Dec 02, 2015, 7:08 PM 0

17. Furbal unregistered

Hopefully it is better than the 950xl, by far the biggest disappointment of a phone I've had for the price.

posted on Dec 02, 2015, 7:54 PM 0

18. Plutonium239

Posts: 1262; Member since: Mar 17, 2015

The idea of a Surface Phone conjures an image in ones mind of a true PC-Phone hybrid, so this rumor of a Surface Phone running on an ARM based chip shouldn't be believed. Additionally a Surface Phone would likely have the styling of the Surface line of tablets, meaning, a magnesium body design.

posted on Dec 02, 2015, 8:13 PM 1

19. xq10xa

Posts: 810; Member since: Dec 07, 2010

I would be interested in a Surface phone..........about 5 generations into it. Let us all remember their new project debuts....the Kin, Zune, WP7.....all just terrible. They get way better over time.

posted on Dec 02, 2015, 8:34 PM 0

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