14 DAY TRIAL // The future of Windows phones is still in doubt, even though everybody’s hoping to see Microsoft building a Surface Phone, but for the moment, the company’s remaining completely tight-lipped on everything mobile.
On the other hand, patents provide us with a glimpse into how future Windows phones could work, as they reveal technology that Microsoft has at least considered at some point.
For example, MSPU has discovered a technology called INPUTTING DATA USING A MOBILE APPARATUS, which is essentially a feature that allows users to take notes on a phone with the help of a stylus even if the device is locked.
Using sensors built into the pen, the phone can detect when you want to write down something and let you do that on the locked screen without leaving the standby mode. Notes would then be automatically saved in a dedicated app.
This feature is similar to the one available on the Samsung Galaxy Note 7, which makes it possible for owners to take notes without first unlocking their phones, so maybe Microsoft’s considering similar functionality for the Surface Phone (or another model). The company has already invested a fortune into making the Surface Pen a revolutionary piece of technology, so bringing it on phones is the next logical step forward.
3D Touch-like technology
And then, it’s another patent called DISPLAY INTEGRATED PRESSURE SENSOR that seems to be pointing to a technology similar to the 3D Touch feature currently available on the iPhone and which provides new functionality when the screen is pressed harder.
What’s interesting is that Microsoft originally applied for these patents in early 2015, so the company considered such technologies even before Samsung and Apple brought them on their smartphones.
Right now, however, nobody can tell if there’s the slightest chance to see them in production, but without a doubt, Microsoft becoming innovative in a mobile is a thing that the entire Windows Phone community is hoping for.