2016 has been a good year for Microsoft's line of Surface devices. Not only have the existing products remained in the profitable end of the spectrum, but the company released several new pieces of hardware as well. Nevertheless, the public is still eagerly awaiting the Surface Phone.
Some weeks back, the Redmond-based company released a revamped version of the Surface Book, as well as an all new Surface Studio. The new desktop is expected to revolutionize exactly how computers are used nowadays, and expand what they are used for. But despite these innovations and improvements, a group of the public was disappointed that there was no Surface Phone in the big Windows 10 event.
Fortunately, several news outlets have been reporting on the developments being made to the Surface Phone, which includes stellar specifications. The handheld, as noted by Trusted Reviews, is expected to come with a 5.7 inch display but will come in three variants. The first of which comes with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. Another will have 6GB of RAM and 126GB of storage, while the last will have a whopping 8GB of RAM and 500GB of built in storage.
Furthermore, it is expected to come powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor. This alone might be enough to put the Surface Phone ahead of present competition, most of which are installed with the Snapdragon 820 or Snapdragon 821 processor. Furthermore, the 835 will be Qualcomm's debut 10nm processor, which should make it more efficient than previous generations.
The unit is also expected to arrive to the market with the latest Windows 10 system. The Redmond-based company had already announced it would like to just making updates to Windows 10, without releasing an entirely new generation. This means that all products - including the Surface Phone - will carry the best of Microsoft.
The Surface Phone, with its top of the line specifications, is going to cost much more than the standard Microsoft device. It is estimated that the lowest end model of the generation will set back buyers by about US$699. Meanwhile, the highest end variant is expected to cost as much as US$1,099. If these numbers prove to be true, the tech giant should have more than just the best hardware specifications in the market.
As Forbes notes, the company is planning to do just that. CEO Satya Nadella has discussed how Microsoft is focused on making Windows 10 Mobile stand out from the congested market. One specific project in place is the capability of Continuum, which will allow the handheld to somewhat become what the publication describes as a "base" computer - which will include external keyboards, mice and monitors.
Nadella admitted that if things were to be rated by just hardware, that Microsoft is likely to fall behind its competitors. The company has tried this method before and infamously failed it, despite the stunning OS and modern specifications. Which is why, to gear up for the next battle, the tech giant is focusing on minimizing the gap between desktop and a mobile device.
