Is Microsoft Surface Phone here yet? FIH Mobile deal could be the first step.

Microsoft Surface Phone










Microsoft may have just taken the first step to committing to the idea of a Surface Phone. The tech giant has recently announced the sale of its feature phone business assets, to Foxconn subsidiary FIH Mobile Ltd, for $350 million dollars, which also includes the acquisition of Microsoft Mobile Vietnam’s manufacturing facility in Hanoi, Vietnam.
According to the official statement, Microsoft will continue supporting Lumia handsets, including the Lumia 650, 950, and 950XL, as well and OEM partners smartphones Alcatel, Acer, HP, VAIO, and more.
The important bit of the announcement, hinges on the fact that Microsoft is also including brands and trademark assets, to FIH Mobile, in a move that suggests a detachment of Microsoft from the Lumia brand.

What’s next for Microsoft Mobile?

This comes as no surprise to those in the loop of the rumors surrounding, a device alleged to have been in the works for years. The device has been rumored as the next step in Microsoft’s mobile-first strategy, with word of it to be destined to replace the Lumia brand in the near future.
Back in August of last year, sources reported detailed specs in regard to what it was believed to be the Surface Phone:
  • Display: 1440×2560 16:9 AMOLED 5.5? ClearBlack Gorilla Glass 4
  • Processor: Intel Atom x3 (SoFIA) 64-bit
  • Camera: Back: 21MP PureView Zeiss 6-lens Front: 8MP Zeiss Wide-Angle
  • RAM: up to 4GB RAM (lower end with 3GB and higher end with 4GB)
  • Operating System: Windows 10 Mobile (Current revision of the device is running 10.0.10514.19)
  • Storage: Options will include 64GB and 128GB with MicroSD Expansion up to 256GB
  • Surface Pen (Similar to Note 5),
  • USB Type-C
  • Wireless Charging
  • Aluminium & Magnesium unibody
With that said, if the handset is really due for release, this year or the next, the above specs may turn out to be different.
While some are speculating that Microsoft might simply want out of the smartphone business, in the past year, we have been monitoring the progression of rumors surrounding the Surface Phone, and came to the conclusion that this is not the case.
According to a more recent report, not only the Surface Phone will be a reality, but it may even be already in an advanced design stage, with a potential release by 2017. Sources suggest that the Surface PHone will follow a similar pattern as other Surface products, by being introduced in multiple versions, from entry-level to pro/power user.
The new handset could also include Wacom’s Universal Pen support, for added accuracy when using the Surface Pen.

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