Rumors about the Microsoft Surface Phone have been around for years despite the Redmond-based tech giant not yet green-lighting a smartphone that carries the popular Surface brand name. However, a leaked patent suggests that the much-anticipated device will become a reality soon.
Patently Apple first reported the alleged Surface Phone patent that Microsoft filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in September 2015. It reveals that the mobile device will introduce a pressure-sensitive display. Together with a special stylus pen, the Surface Phone is believed to follow a method that determines the screen locations where pressure is applied.
Upon the leakage of Microsoft's patent, some people have suggested that pressure-sensitive technology on display screens could also be applied to other devices apart from smartphones. However, Business Insider noted that the said USPTO filing also involves an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, which is not likely to be used by larger devices such as tablets and laptops due to its expensive price.
With this, it is probable that Microsoft submitted the patent for the first-ever Surface Phone.
On the other hand, there are other reports suggesting that the Surface Phone will be unique as it will be the first mobile device to sport a foldable display. Although, such display setup was never mentioned in the recently uncovered patent.
The public cannot assume that the patent filed by Microsoft is a guarantee that the Surface Phone is coming.
According to Motley Fool, Microsoft, like other tech companies, has been filing device patents all throughout the years. Of these submissions, there are times when companies cancel certain ventures. For one, Microsoft was reported to launch a Surface Mini tablet, with its patent also surfaced online. But at the last moment, the company decided to drop the project.
For now, there are no official statements coming from Microsoft that the Surface Phone is under development. After discontinuing the Lumia smartphone series, it is likely that Microsoft will launch their next high-end mobile device in the coming years, which might just be the Surface Phone.
