So far, Microsoft is mum regarding its rumored Surface Phone. While earlier reports said the tech giant is currently working on it, new reports give reason why the device might not even be released.
According to reports, Microsoft is carefully weighing its options with regard to the mobile market. Microsoft hasn't been as successful as other tech companies such as Samsung, Google, and Apple in the mobile device arena, and thus it might cancel any plans to make a mobile device.
Data collected by research company Gartner states that Microsoft, or its former mobile phone line Lumia, is way under the competition provided by Samsung and Apple, the two top smartphone companies in 2015 and 2016.
In terms of operating systems (OS), Windows Mobile falls way behind Google's Android and Apple's iOS. Gartner states that Android is leading with a strong 81.7 percent market share, followed by iOS with 17.9 percent, then followed by Windows at 0.3 percent — translating to about 1.092 million Windows phone units last year. There are others that have a smaller market share.
Nevertheless, fans should not be discouraged. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella told the Australian Financial Review in an interview last year that the company is learning from necessary "hits and misses." He added that while they might have performed poorly with the Nokia Lumia line, Microsoft "will continue to be in the phone market" but not according to how "today's market leaders" define it.
Instead of getting envious over what other tech companies have driven them, Nadella said Microsoft is working on what it can bring to the market, something that certain customers will really need – and what Microsoft can be good at.
Who knows? Nadella said back when Microsoft introduced the concept of a two-in-one through the Surface, many were quite skeptical about it. Now, many will agree that it's one of the most highly-acclaimed devices in our time.
Perhaps Microsoft will surprise us again with something great soon, something that would make Android- and iOS-users decide to switch to another platform. Although we only have rumors for release dates, we can be sure that Nadella and the Redmond tech giant have something up their sleeves.
