It’s been a really long time since Microsoft unveiled a new smartphone and now we might have an idea why. Alex Kipman, the person behind Microsoft Kinect and HoloLens believes that the gadget is already on its way out. “The phone is dead,” Kipman says in an interview with Bloomberg, “people just haven’t realised it yet.” He believes that some type of a mixed-reality device, similar to the HoloLens will replace the phone.
Kipman isn’t the only one who thinks that augmented reality is the future. Apple CEO, Tim Cook also believes that the technology has the potential to be as big as the smartphone itself. According to reports, Apple has over 1000 engineers working on augmented reality technology for the iPhone. A leaked injury report suggests that the company may already be working on a prototype of a headset.
Coming back to Microsoft, the company has not launched a new Windows-based smartphone since the Lumia 650 last year. The company’s elusive Surface Phone has still not surfaced. Although, back in December 2015, Chris Capossela, the Chief Marketing Officer at Microsoft said that the company is working on a “breakthrough” phone, which will be the “spiritual equivalent” of the Surface. However, he also said that the phone would take time to build.