14 DAY TRIAL // Earlier this month, we learned that Microsoft might be planning the release of three new Windows Phone 8.1 handsets, including a mid-range device and a high-end smartphone, and some more info on these phones is now available.
The third smartphone in the series was the Lumia 530, which has already been officially introduced, and which will hit shelves starting next month.
The other two devices, however, remain a mystery for the time being, though a new report coming from The Verge appears set to shed some light on them.
The first of the two mobile phones is said to feature the codename of Superman and to be designed as a selfie phone.
The smartphone has been reportedly revealed by Microsoft Devices Chief Stephen Elop during an internal meeting this week, and will arrive on the market with a 4.7-inch touchscreen display, as well as with a 5-megapixel front camera.
The second device, showcased at the aforementioned event as well, is said to feature the codename of Tesla and to arrive on the market as an affordable high-end smartphone.
The name was spotted online before in association with a new Nokia Lumia smartphone, though no specific details on the device have been provided as of now.
By the looks of it, this phone could be released as the recently rumored Nokia Lumia 830, which will reportedly include a PoreView camera on the back. It would be the first mid-range Lumia device to sport the technology.
Rumor has it that the smartphone will feature a similar design to that of the Lumia 930, but that it will be slightly thinner. It could be launched as a Lumia 720 replacement, the report also suggests.
According to the news site, the fact that Elop has already revealed these phones internally suggests that an official launch for both of them might be made very soon.
Previously, the two were rumored to land sometime in August or September at the latest, after Lumia 530’s arrival in late July.
What’s interesting to note, however, is the fact that Superman and Tesla won’t be true high-end devices, but rather mid- to high-end smartphones, which means that a new flagship Windows Phone handset might not arrive this year from Microsoft.
However, should the latest reports on the matter pan out, we’ll see HTC bringing a Windows Phone 8.1-based HTC One (M8) to the market next month.
Both Microsoft’s upcoming handsets and the aforementioned HTC flagship device should run under the Windows Phone 8.1 Update 1 platform iteration, which is said to have been already released to manufacturers, and which might start rolling out to end-users in a matter of weeks.