14 DAY TRIAL // HP is believed to be working together with Microsoft on a brand-new Windows phone that would be specifically aimed at consumers, but new information that got leaked today is likely to leave many fans disappointed.
According to people with knowledge of the matter, HP’s main goal was to create a consumer version of the Elite X3, which is, in essence, a device developed for businesses needing the most advanced hardware available on the market right now.
But needless to say, even though it’s aimed at consumers, the next HP Windows phone still needs features that would place it at the top of the pack, at least next to the Lumia 950 XL (which continues to be Microsoft’s own flagship in the Windows 10 Mobile world).
And yet, it turns out that it won’t happen, as the new consumer phone from HP will be just a mid-ranger coming with a Snapdragon 600 processor and nothing more. Fans expected the device to be powered by at least the Snapdragon 821, so seeing HP going back to Snapdragon 600 is disappointing, to say the least.
Slow CPU, small price
Without a doubt, the decision to downgrade processing power is strongly linked to costs, as HP doesn’t want to build a phone that nobody can afford. Consumers need more affordable devices, and the company probably believes that it makes no sense right now to launch a flagship model that would be priced similarly to an iPhone 7 or a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge.
Despite the Snapdragon 600 processor, the new Windows phone will still support features like Continuum, and German site Dr. Windows believes that it could even work with the accessories that HP launched with the Elite X3, such as the dock.
Of course, nothing is confirmed so far, but the new consumer Windows phone is likely to see daylight in early 2017, most likely at MWC. More information will probably get leaked in the meantime, but for the moment, there are only small chances for this one to become a flagship in all regards.