14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft is believed to be working on a new mobile device, often referred to as Surface Phone but allegedly codenamed Andromeda, and several other partners are now likely to be working on similar products based on Redmond’s approach.
Specifically, Microsoft might be trying a strategy that already proved to be effective in the case of 2-in-1 devices. The company launched the Surface as the model pioneering this form factor and then called for partners to do the same and develop their own devices using this idea.
In the case of the Surface Phone (or whatever it’ll be called), Dell appears to be the first big name interested in this project, as the firm is said to be working on its very own device codenamed Januss.
A report from German site WinFuture indicates that Dell’s project is already in prototype stage after work on it started in the summer of 2017. It’s not clear if Dell still wants to launch it, but some improvements were implemented earlier this year, so there’s a chance the device is still alive.
Snapdragon 850 chip
When it comes to specs, it looks like Dell’s model could be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 850 processor specifically optimized for this form factor. Without a doubt, the device would run Windows 10 ARM.
LTE support, USB Type-C ports, cameras, an accelerometer, and a gyroscope are also part of the spec sheet, and so is a new form factor based on a hinge and two different displays. This means that like Microsoft, Dell might be looking into a new form factor, and as the cited source mentions, the accelerometer and gyroscope sensors are a sign that the company is aiming towards building a mobile device.
There are a lot of unknown details at this point, and despite the project being in a rather advanced stage, it’s still not clear if Dell wants to bring it to the market. If it does, however, the launch should take place shortly after the unveiling of Microsoft’s new mobile device, which itself is projected to happen later this year.