14 DAY TRIAL // Here is some interesting news about Microsoft's Surface Phone, which is expected to be unveiled sometime next year.
We reported last week that the Redmond-based company might have canceled the mid-range version of the Surface Phone, which was powered by an Intel-based chipset.
However, Panos Panay, the new head of Microsoft's mobile division, has been entrusted with the task of making another Surface Phone with much more powerful specs, which could successfully compete with other flagships.
A new report from NPU confirms that information and offers us a glimpse at what the first Surface Phone might look like. First of all, the smartphone will still be equipped with an Intel-based chipset, but a much more powerful one that is likely to be announced next year.
Intel is working on a brand-new chipset that could challenge Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820, and the Surface Phone might be one of the first devices to feature it.
Previous rumors claimed the Surface Phone will feature a metal unibody and sources familiar with Microsoft's plans now suggest that its design will be in the same vein as Surface family, which isn't surprising considering it's developed by the same team.
We get two Microsoft flagships per year
The smartphone could sport a 5.2- or 5.5-inch display that should offer Quad HD (2560 x 1440 pixels) resolution although some say that Microsoft might even go with a 4K UHD display.
The Surface Phone is also said to come with an innovative cover and native Surface Pen support, but also an enhanced IR scanner.
The camera on the back may pack either 20- or 15-megapixels with some advanced features, while in the front there should be an 8-megapixel camera with LED flash.
In the same piece of news, the same source claims Microsoft will adopt the same Surface tablet strategy and will bring only two flagships on the market per year, one with Snapdragon 820 CPU, and another one more powerful, the Surface Phone, which might even be able to run Win32 apps.
The Surface Phone is expected to be released on the market in Q3 2016, but it will come with a newer version of Windows 10 Mobile.