14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft wants to leave the fate of the Windows 10 Mobile ecosystem in the hands of partners around the world, allowing them to support its expansion with devices of all sizes and prices, while the company would concentrate on just one model believed to be the Surface Phone.
In the meantime, however, partners are trying to make the most of this opportunity, and a partnership between Softbank, Lenovo, and Microsoft has brought us a new Windows 10 Mobile phone in Japan.
Called SoftBank 503LV, the new device will go on sale in October in the country, and possibly in other markets too, but pricing information and availability details are yet to be announced.
Technical specifications
SoftBank 503LV is not designed to be a flagship, but it does come with support for Continuum, Microsoft’s new Windows 10 feature that allows a phone to become a portable PC with the help of an adapter and an external screen.
The phone features a 5.0-inch LCD display with a resolution of 1280x720 pixels and is powered by a Snapdragon 617 processor, with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. Additionally, it features a 2,250mAh battery, which should probably last for one full day in the case of moderate usage.
Without a doubt, it’s hard to believe that sales of this new model would be impressive, but every new addition to the Windows 10 Mobile device lineup is welcome, especially because Microsoft has decided to reduce the number of phones that it makes.
Microsoft is currently the producer of 97 percent of the Windows phones on the market, so it’s very clear that a decision to downsize its lineup requires other companies to step in and release as many devices as possible to give customers a wider range of models to choose from.
It remains to be seen how appealing this new model will be to users when it goes on sale in the fall, and we’ll update the article with pricing information when it becomes available.