The Microsoft Surface Phone is hot in the rumor mill again after Qualcomm and Samsung announced their next project: the Snapdragon 835. It is also speculated to offer a model that could include 6 GB of RAM.
The Redmond-based tech giant is rumored to have created two prototypes of the alleged smartphone, and they both run on Snapdragon 835. They are also said to be taking advantage of the Quick Charge 4.0 technology that comes with the new processor. They also run on Windows 10 Mobile operating system and use the 64-Bit architecture, according to Nokia Power User.
One Surface Phone variant is said to contain 6 GB of RAM and can already run x86 applications via the Windows Continuum. Sources familiar with the matter have confirmed that these x86 applications are not capable of running directly on ARM 64-based chips, the reason why it needs to be connected to Continuum. It is believed to be the enterprise version of the phone or the high-end one.
The other prototype, understood to be the consumer version, is rumored to have 4 GB of RAM. However, is not capable of running x86 apps even under Continuum.
Additionally, it is heavily speculated that the Microsoft Surface Phone could arrive with a 5.5-inch QHD display screen. Upon release, the device is said to be running a Redstone 3 branch of the Windows 10 Mobile operating system out-of-the-box.
Meanwhile, Satya Nadella, Microsoft's CEO, previously spoke about the company's new approach to its mobile device business line. He said that they may have missed on the earliest opportunity, but they will continue to be a player in the phone market, speaking to the Australian Financial Review.
"We will continue to be in the phone market not as defined by today's market leaders, but by what it is that we can uniquely do in what is the most ultimate mobile device. Therefore, we stopped doing things that were me-too and started doing things, even if they are today very sub-scale, to be very focused on a specific set of customers who need a specific set of capabilities that are differentiated and that we can do a good job of," Nadella said.
The Microsoft Surface Phone is expected to arrive late 2017.
