It looks like Microsoft's next smartphone will not be the heavily-rumored Surface Phone, but one that the Redmond-based giant will work on with HP.
Rumor has it that the companies are teaming up for a Windows Phone set to be released in February 2017, presumably at the Mobile World Congress (MWC).
The timing suggests that the device will not be the Microsoft Surface Phone, but the successor of the HP Elite X3, which was released at the MWC early this year.
According to Dr. Windows, Microsoft has announced the new Windows Phone during an event at Redmond. From the looks of it, the Microsoft Surface Phone is not coming anytime soon.
In the partnership, HP will reportedly shoulder most of the work such as putting together and selling the new Windows Phone while Microsoft will provide some resources to help HP with the development.
Microsoft will also provide HP with the technology used in the Lumia devices such as the ClearBlack screens, Glance, double tap to wake, as well as advanced camera functionality. There is no information on the specifications and the features, though.
It is unclear what this plan means for Microsoft Surface Phone, which was also expected to be released in spring next year. However, many reports have cast doubts on the device seeing the light of day.
Last month, Mary Jo Foley of ZDNet stated that the device may not arrive at all. She said that, based on her contacts, "If and when anything like a Surface Phone ends up materializing, it will likely be late 2017 or maybe even not until 2018."
That being said, the only Windows-powered device to expect next year is the HP Elite X3 successor, although MS Power User is not even sure if Windows fans will be able to wait that long for a Windows Phone.
After all, it has been a year since Microsoft came out with one in the form of the Lumia 950. Whether or not Microsoft will push for the Surface Phone remains a mystery at the moment.
