14 DAY TRIAL // The Surface Phone is without a doubt the most anticipated product ever said to be developed by Microsoft, especially because everyone in the Windows Phone community is putting their hopes into this device to reignite interest in the falling platform.
We already told you yesterday that a new series of reports indicate that the Surface Phone is unlikely to launch this year, so today we’re digging more into the details to see if Microsoft’s effort to launch this product at a later time is still worth the time and resources.
The launch date
First and foremost, the release date. If these reports are true, though there’s no indication they are, then the Surface Phone could launch in late 2018 or even in 2019, as Microsoft apparently needs more time to complete work on the project.
Long-time Microsoft users probably remember that originally, the Surface Phone was projected to launch in 2016, then the rumored date was moved to late 2016, and then eventually to early or late 2017. We’re now in 2017, and the late 2017 target is not even on the table anymore, with these sources indicating that late 2018 or 2019 is more likely to witness the introduction of the Surface Phone.
Instead, Microsoft is planning to bring a new “ordinary” Windows 10 Mobile device that wouldn’t use the Windows 10 on ARM approach, but rely exclusively on Windows Store apps.
This device could serve as a bandage for Windows 10 Mobile until the Surface Phone arrives, as the platform is losing users and developers at a painfully fast pace.
A possible launch date in 2019, however, might be too little, too late, as this fast pace of losing users means that when the Surface Phone goes live, interest in such a device might be quite low. IDC estimates that by 2021 Windows phones could drop to 0.0 percent market share, so things aren’t going to be too different in 2019.
The rivals
If the Surface Phone launches in 2019, it could be a rival to the iPhone 9, if Apple sticks with its naming strategy for its flagship device. The company is expected to unveil the iPhone 8 this year as a 10th anniversary model, while the iPhone 8s could see daylight in 2018. One year later, the iPhone 9 could finally be introduced, but only if Apple goes on with this naming approach for the device.
Without a doubt, there’ll be a lot of hardware innovations launching by the time the Surface Phone is released, if this really happens, so Microsoft would have a lot of work to do in order to make its model a true competitor to the iPhone.
Apple itself is expected to invest in new technologies in the coming years, and things like facial recognition, wireless charging from across the room, fingerprint sensors integrated into the display, and super high-quality OLED screens are said to be already in the works.
The Windows 10 on ARM push might not be enough for the Surface Phone to keep up with its rivals, especially given the fact that Windows phones themselves are expected to become a rare thing by that time.
Of course, all this speculation is based on the presumption that Microsoft indeed launches the Surface Phone. There’s still no confirmation, so the best thing we could do right now is to wait and hope that the Surface Phone is real and is coming.