Microsoft readying a selfie phone and an affordable high-end phone

Microsoft is reportedly working on two new smartphones based on its Windows Phone 8.1 operating system. Citing sources familiar to the company plans, The Verge reports Microsoft devices chief Stephen Elop had revealed the two phones at an internal company meeting. Elop touted one of the smartphones as a “selfie phone”, which is believed to be the previously rumoured selfie phone codenamed 'Superman'. The other phone is codenamed 'Tesla'.

The selfie phone – Superman – reportedly features a 5MP front camera, likely to compete against Sony's newly launched selfie phone Xperia C3. The smartphone is expected to come with a 4.7-inch 720p display and a rare 6.5 rear camera. It will be powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core processor. Other expected features include 1GB of RAM, 8GB built-in storage and LTE support. A 2,200 mAh battery will power the handset.

Moving on to the device codenamed Tesla. Rumours are Tesla could be the recently leaked Lumia 830. Stephen Elop reportedly said during the presentation that the Tesla will be an “affordable high-end phone”, featuring Nokia's popular PureView camera. Many believe the Tesla will succeed the Lumia 720. The Verge reports the Tesla could be much slimmer and lesser bulky.

So far, there's no word on the pricing and availability of the smartphones. Interestingly, Microsoft’s Jo Harlow reportedly confirmed in an internal memo that Microsoft will be coming out with “other high-end products…very soon.”

Microsoft is leaving no stone unturned in making its Windows Phone platform and Lumia series more popular. It's worth pointing out here HTC is also being rumoured to be working on a Windows Phone version of its flagship M8 smartphone – a move that could provide a big push to Microsoft's mobile operating system. Microsoft is already said to be working on a new update of Windows Phone 8.1 that will focus on smart covers and big-screen support.

Source: TheVerge

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Kul Bhushan