Nokia, as per legal requirements, has just filed its SEC filing, where it lists all the potential risks it faces with respect to its business. While “Microsoft ditching Windows Phone altogether” naturally comes up as a threat, what we didn’t expect to see was a mention of the Surface Windows Phone. We had heard rumours of such a device back in July last year, just after Microsoft revealed the new Windows Phone 8 OS to the world. The rumours died down once the entire lineup of devices from different manufacturers was revealed. This recent revelation opens up a whole new world of possibilities, and offers a bleak view into what could possibly be next for Microsoft and its mobile operating system.
Why the Surface Windows Phone Could Exist
When Microsoft went on the announcement spree, a tablet was only rumoured. When this rumoured tablet was revealed as the Surface, only a handful of people knew about its existence. The final reveal showed a product that was well-built and quite attractive, offering assurances that Microsoft could play the hardware game rather well. So we don’t doubt that Microsoft could pull off the design and manufacturing of a gorgeous cellphone.
Another reason to believe that the Surface Windows Phone could be real is because it would make sense for Nokia to give their OEM Partners enough time to establish their devices in the market. When the Surface was announced, it dealt a strong setback to the OEM partners, who were quite unhappy by Microsoft undercutting its own companions. So, holding off the release of the Surface Windows Phone would make sense till the second cycle.
Why It Could Be a Threat
So far, Nokia and HTC are the only two players who’ve managed to push out a significant portfolio of WP8 devices. Neither of the companies have managed to flat out impress the general population, so Microsoft does have that room to impress. If the design of the Microsoft Surface tablet is anything to go by, the Surface Windows Phone is bound to bear the same excellent design. The current device lineup is generally bulky and quite similar looking in form factor, sans the HTC WP8X. Microsoft’s Surface Windows Phone could capitalize on that, shipping out a phone with edgeless display along with a slim and lightweight body. If Microsoft also managed to pack in impressive optics for the camera, it just might have itself a winner. If Nokia and HTC could do it, then why not Microsoft?
What to Expect from Surface Windows Phone
If Microsoft was to release such a device, we can definitely expect to rock the top of the line innards. By that, we mean that it will definitely sport the Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor along with a gig of RAM and we can expect a good amount of onboard storage space. Seeing as how the Surface tablets have come with expandable memory, we don’t see why Microsoft would leave out the option from its own phone. A microSD card slot would definitely give the Surface Windows Phone a serious trump over the Nokia and HTC flagships which offer only 16 or 32 GB of storage with no possibility of expansion.
This filing from Nokia can be seen as a giveaway of things to come, but we can’t discount that if there is the possibility of Microsoft making a phone, it is also possible that they might pull the plug on the OS completely (eventually of course). We should also not forget that the SEC filing is all about “potential” risks, meaning, possible scenarios that could pose a risk to the company. So while the possibility of the Surface Windows Phone has definitely come back to life, we’d hold off on getting out hopes up.
Source: ZDNet