In the years since Microsoft introduced the first Surface tablet, the question “Where is the Surface phone?” has been asked quite a bit. Well more than three years after the first Surface tablet was announced, a new report claims that a Surface phone may finally be coming.
Windows Central says that work on a new “premium flagship phone” is underway at Microsoft. The project is being headed up by Panos Panay, creator of the Surface and head of Microsoft’s hardware division, as well as his Surface team. Not much about the phone is known right now, but it’s said that Panay and his group are “exploring different technologies.” Intel is reportedly involved in the effort, but it’s unclear what kind of chipset the phone will have.
As for when it might launch, Microsoft is reportedly targeting the the second half of 2016. Some have suggested an August debut to line up with the next big Windows 10 OS release, while others have suggested a broader Q4 2016 timeframe.
Both the new Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book are nice looking pieces of kit, and so it’ll be interesting to see what Panay and his team can do with a smartphone. While Panay introduced the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL in October, those products were already in development when he took charge of Microsoft’s hardware team, so don’t expect this Surface phone to look like those devices. Windows Central says that the phone is often being referred to as “Panos’s Phone” inside of Microsoft, suggesting that he’s putting a large focus on the device. Exactly what features it will have remains to be seen, but considering the emphasis that past Windows phones have placed on camera performance, it’s possible that the Surface phone will have a focus on camera quality, too.
What would you like to see from a Surface phone?
