14 DAY TRIAL // Word has it that Microsoft is no longer planning to release any new Lumia phones this year or in the near future, but focus exclusively on the eagerly anticipated Surface Phone coming in spring 2017.
With this in mind, it would actually make sense to see the existing Lumia phones benefitting from some important price cuts, and this is exactly what is happening in several markets around the world.
In the United States, the Lumia 550, which is currently the entry-level Windows 10 Mobile device developed by Microsoft, is available for just $99 (€87), down from the original price of $139. The phone sells in unlocked version, so you’re not tied to a carrier, and it’s available in Microsoft stores in the United States.
As a memory refresher, the Lumia 550 comes with a 4.7-inch LCD screen, a quad-core 1.1 GHz Snapdragon 210 processor, 1 GB of RAM, 8 GB of storage, and a 5-megapixel rear camera.
The Windows 10 Mobile flagships, Lumia 950 and 950 XL, are both benefitting from price cuts, this time in the United Kingdom. The 950 can now be purchased for £319.99/$465/€410 (down from £399.99/$580/€510) while the 950 XL is available to Britons for £399.99//$580/€510 (a price cut from £469.99/$680/€600).
The Surface Phone
And because no Lumia phones are planned in the near future, all eyes are now on the Surface Phone, a device that’s expected to excel in all regards.
Rumors swirling around the web these days indicate that the Surface Phone will come in three versions and will be aimed at different buyer categories, with the best possible hardware and premium finish. The device will be designed by the same team that built the Surface tablet, so it’ll feature a high-quality look and feel, with Microsoft clearly aiming for the upper premium segment.
If the existing reports are true, it will come with a display between 5.5 and 6.0 inches and will be focused on Continuum, a feature that makes it possible to turn a regular phone into a portable PC with the help of Windows 10 and an external screen.
Certainly, there’s more to discover about the Surface Phone, so new details should emerge in the coming months, as we get closer to its rumored release date.