Microsoft Surface Phone release date, rumors: Flagship still happening? Spring 2017 launch isn't happening

General view of Microsoft Corporation headquarters at Issy-les-Moulineaux, near Paris, France.Microsoft/Charles Platiau/Files

The Microsoft Surface Phone is not expected to grace the upcoming launch event of Microsoft this Oct. 26. Rumor has it that it might not arrive at all.

Speculations suggest that that the Redmond-based software giant is pulling the plug on what is expected to be the first smartphone from Microsoft post-Lumia.

The Microsoft Surface Phone is being deemed to be the saving grace of the company in the mobile department, but if the rumors are to be believed, the tech firm is not eyeing a mobile venture anymore.

According to Microsoft analyst Mary Jo Foley, the tech company will focus on the Windows-based smartphones created by other original equipment manufacturers or OEMs.

Foley's contacts are not even sure anymore that the Microsoft Surface Phone will see the light of day. If it is still on the table, her sources suggest that it will arrive "considerably later."

Previous reports suggested that Microsoft had a grand vision for the smartphone as it could make or break their second attempt to return to the mobile competition.

The Lumia has done poorly in the market, and the failure of this is making headlines. An earlier report has suggested that the Lumia line will be completely discontinued by the end of the year.

This was initially believed to be necessitated by the expected arrival of the Microsoft Surface Phone. But the reports that the device might not come out at all suggest that the Redmond-based company may be giving up on pushing for the mobile market.

Microsoft has been quite adventurous in the recent years, having released its first laptop and now prepping for the unveiling for their first desktop computer — the Surface All-in-One (AIO) PC.

It seemed that the Microsoft Surface Phone will complete the company's fresh lineup. However, the device being benched this month and the spring 2017 launch no longer on the table may signal doom for the Microsoft mobile.