14 DAY TRIAL // HP’s upcoming Elite X3, also known as the Windows 10 Mobile superphone, is likely to be the most exciting release for the Windows phone ecosystem this year, especially because Microsoft is switching focus in this particular industry.
And despite the fact that we still don’t know when exactly this new device is expected to land, it appears that we’re getting closer to the moment when this will happen, as the Elite X3 has recently received Wi-Fi and Bluetooth certifications in the United States.
As spotted by NPU, the Elite X3 will most likely launch in two different versions, the United States and rest of the world/international, and it is expected to land in the summer, probably around the date when Microsoft introduces the new Windows 10 Mobile Anniversary Update.
The superphone
HP presented the device earlier this year at MWC, but the company has never provided a release date, so it’s impossible to tell when exactly it’ll land. Details are missing for the moment, but all signs seem to point to a summer launch, especially now, given the fact that it has passed wireless certification.
The Elite X3 will come with a 6-inch display and will be powered by the Snapdragon 820, which is currently one of the most powerful CPU models in the mobile industry. It’ll thus become the top Windows 10 Mobile handset on the market, at least until Microsoft ships the eagerly awaited Surface Phone in the spring of 2017, if this ever happens, obviously.
In the meantime, Microsoft says that it’s more committed to supporting the Windows 10 Mobile ecosystem than on bringing new devices to the market, and that’s why everyone believes that the Lumia lineup is dead. No other Lumia models are likely to launch, with Microsoft choosing instead to focus only on the high-end Surface Phone, leaving the rest of categories to partners also building Windows 10 Mobile devices.