There are rumors that Microsoft is developing a new Surface Phone. A recent benchmark test hinted that a new device is in the works, and it is running on Windows 10 Mobile, build 10240.
GSM Arena reported that a mobile device named “Microsoft Surface Phone” recently surfaced on an HTML5 benchmarking test, which immediately spread online, as fans speculated the possibility of the company releasing a new handset soon. The last time that the company was rumored to be creating the handset was in September 2012. The phone ran on Windows 10 Mobile, the browser used was Edge 12 and the screen size was listed as 360 x 640 pixels. The Windows 10 build on the smartphone, however, was an older pre-release version that had the same name as the final edition of the operating system for the desktop. As for the minimal screen size, it may only be a prototype tested at various resolutions for a number of purposes.
Not a lot of other details were revealed about the mysterious Microsoft Surface Phone. If the talks are true, Microsoft may have finally approved the development of a Surface phone, moving beyond its line of laptops and tablets. Pocket Now wrote that the Lumia 950 and 950 XL currently offers a lot more than standard smartphones, with a wide array of connective capabilities and support. Microsoft may be aiming to enhance their “prosumer” handsets in 2016.
International Business Times stated that Microsoft may be planning to make Win32 desktop apps operate on compatible phones using Continuum. Desktop apps are set to be included in the Windows Store in the near future. Continuum has been one of the biggest features introduced in the new OS, and is already included in the new Lumia 950 series. The rumored Surface Phone may have an x86 processor to allow Win32 desktop apps to run efficiently on smartphones.
If the HTML5Test is genuine, it means that Microsoft has been working on the Surface phone for several months already and the prototype should have gone through significant changes by now to go for through another benchmarking test. The test showed a score of 401 out of 555 points, so the company has a lot of improvements to introduce to make it ready for the market.
Microsoft has yet to confirm whether a Surface handset will indeed become available in the future. In the meantime, fans should take the news with a pinch of salt.