Microsoft Surface Phone release date news, specs rumors: Windows Core offers major bump up

A green Lumia series smartphone running Windows 10 OS for mobileMicrosoft website

Rumors about the Surface Phone are still lingering online, in spite of Microsoft still not giving a confirmation regarding their next premium Windows-powered smartphone. However, there have been mixed signals recently about the Surface Phone's future, with Microsoft announcing that the Windows 10 mobile is over.

Microsoft has officially announced the end for the Windows 10 mobile phones. This means that there will be no more hardware highlighting the Windows 10 mobile OS to be released, as well as major software updates. This news can also be a negative sign for the existence of Surface Phone, according to Express UK. The Redmond-based tech giant may ultimately decide to ditch the Windows smartphones altogether and embrace Android, thus cancelling the Surface Phone as well.

Nevertheless, there are leaks surfacing online that allegedly belong to the much-awaited Surface Phone. Even as the Windows 10 mobile will no longer be supported by Microsoft, it appears that the company is preparing another Windows mobile version that will include major improvements over its predecessor. It is rumored that the Surface Phone will be the first to carry the Windows Core operating system, which is described as a "modular and universal OS."

Details about the Surface Phone running the Windows Core OS came from an Italian tech blogger, saying that the kernal mode of the new Windows OS will allow itself to be applicable to every other platform. This means that a universal Windows operating system to be released in the future can run in desktop computer, mobile phones, and even in Xbox One console.

Leaks also suggested that the Microsoft Surface Phone will have a different name upon its rumored release next year. It is speculated that the Surface Phone will be introduced as the Surface Andromeda. Other specs and features of the new Surface device are not yet confirmed, although there are other reports suggesting that the Surface Phone will sport a dual-screen front panel. This will give way to the handset adopting a foldable design.