The long-rumored Microsoft Surface Phone might feature a trackpad. A patent filed by the Redmond-based company reveals that they are looking to build what they are referring to as a "low-profile pointing device."
It s stated in the document that this "gel-based" trackpad will be used for navigation and biometrics with the pointing device housing a fingerprint sensor beneath it, which Microsoft could use to activate Windows Hello on the Microsoft Surface Phone.
Windows Hello is the new "enterprise-grade" identification technology used on Windows 10 that no longer needs users to type in passwords. With it, users can simply access their device either only with a fingerprint or facial recognition.
It appears that the trackpoint, which media outlets believe might make it to the Microsoft Surface Phone, will also be able to distinguish pressure levels to determine an action such as opening apps or menus or scrolling through web pages.
At the moment, it remains unclear if this technology will be used on the Microsoft Surface Phone. It is also unknown whether or not Microsoft will ever put it to use.
For now though, the takeaway from this is that Microsoft has things planned out in the hardware department and that this technology might be seen in action in the Microsoft Surface Phone, which will undoubtedly make it stand out from the rest.
In related news, Microsoft listed on its Windows support site unannounced chipsets like the Qualcomm Snapdragon 830 and Snapdragon 823, which suggests that a future Windows device, possibly the Microsoft Surface Phone, will be shipped with the said processors.
The latest smartphone flagships around only have Snapdragon 820 and it's a fairly new release from Qualcomm. From what it looks like, Microsoft is calling the dibs on the company's next-gen chipset.
The Microsoft Surface Phone is expected to be released either later this year or spring next year.
