Surface Phone: Here's what all we know so far about Microsoft's rumoured Windows 10 smartphone

When Microsoft first announced its latest Windows 10 OS, it made clear that new Windows phones based on the latest software will be introduced later.

While its Lumia range of smartphones is set for a makeover with the new operating system and expected to be unveiled in October this year, speculations are also rife about a possible Surface phone based on the software giant’s Surface line of tablets. The purported device would introduce Surface brand of smartphones by the software giant which recently wrote off its Nokia phone business owing to losses.

Here’s all that we know so far about the long-rumoured Surface Phone by Microsoft:

1. Design

The Microsoft Surface Phone, dubbed internally Project Juggernaut Alpha, will feature an aluminum and magnesium unibody, in line with the current design of Surface tablets and will be angular and squared. Enthusiasts, like Phone Designer on Facebook, have illustrated how the device has striking resemblance to the iPhone.

2. Hardware

It will feature a large 5.5-inch AMOLED display offering a screen resolution of 1440x2560 pixels, which is more than the resolution offered in Apple iPhone 6 Plus, and have ClearBlack Gorilla Glass 4. At its heart will be an Intel Atom x3 chipset code-named SoFIA and 4GB of RAM. In terms of RAM, the phone would compete some of the recent top-end smartphones like the Asus Zenfone 2, Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+, and Lenovo K80 among others.

It is expected to come in storage options starting at 64 GB and go up to 128 GB, instead of 16 GB as the base storage limit.

Microsoft is expected to continue including good camera in the Surface Phone like its other Nokia-powered phones, with expectations hinting at a 21 megapixel PureView Zeiss 6 lens at the rear and an 8 megapixel Zeiss Wide-Angle as the front snapper.

The Surface Phone could include the Surface Pen as supporting accessory, similar to the Samsung S Pen offered with the newer Galaxy Note 5, along with snap-on keyboard to offer more flexibility and also match the Surface line of tablets. Renditions by another artist imagines the Surface Phone with a built-in beveled kickstand for comfortable viewing experience.

Also read: New Windows 10 Lumia smartphones to include iris scanner, surface pen support, USB Type-C

3. Software

The Surface Phone is most likely to run the latest Windows 10 OS for mobiles as the device would then serve as the flagship device and be one of the first Windows 10 Phones.

Windows 10 for smartphones is primarily aimed at bringing the same functionality as available on PCs to smartphones. From the new Cortana app, new Office apps to a standardised Skype app, if Microsoft releases the Surface Phone, it will most certainly come with all the latest Windows 10 features for the mobile.

4. Launch and availability

While more speculations side the release of Windows 10-based Lumia 950 and 950 XL in the coming month, the Surface Phone could then be possibly pushed ahead for a 2016 release. However, as Microsoft had earlier stated that new Windows 10 phones would come later this year and Terry Myerson, vice president of the Windows and Devices group within Microsoft, hinting at the company’s focus on premium-branded devices, we could nonetheless hope for the purported phone being showed off alongside the new Lumia handsets.

Going by the focus on ‘premium’ device, the Surface Phone could be part of Microsoft’s high-end, high-priced models and the price of its Surface tablets at $799 onwards, on which the phones will be based, might decide the price of the purported handset.