Microsoft is reportedly working on the development of a new Windows 10 smartphone. The device has been spotted inside the Redmond campus and is expected to release early 2018. With the discontinuation of the ill-fated Lumia handsets, the company has not made any major effort to push new handsets loaded with Windows 10 Mobile.
Although the Bill Gates-owned company has been releasing premium Surface Pro 4 tablet, the company is weak in the smartphone segment. The latest reports indicate the fact that the company is planning a major mobile reboot of Windows 10 Mobile.
Moreover, there are talks in the town about the imminent launch of a handset, which will redefine the shape of the smartphone segment.
Usage of common shell
According to industry analysts, the upcoming software upgrade for the new device would be based on the Composable Shell aka CShell. It mainly denotes a common shell for all Windows phones and tablets. There are reports that the design of the hardware is in the final stage.
We don't have any clear idea as to whether the upcoming device would be a smartphone or Surface-like tablet. However, the company will most likely launch a new smartphone because Microsoft already has a strong market share via Surface Pro.
Microsoft hires Alex Kipman
According to reports, Microsoft has appointed Alex Kipman as the head to design and develop a new smartphone.
Kipman also heads the HoloLens projects, which is exclusively shaped to redefine the future of AI. There are also reports that the new smartphone will be loaded with ARM counterpart of Windows 10. However, the internal tests conducted by the product team found several bugs, which the company is trying to fix.
New coding system expected
To launch a new Windows 10 smartphone, Microsoft needs to refresh not only the user interface but also the coding system. Hence, it will take several months for the new smartphone to hit the retail shelves. You can expect the launch towards the end of Q3 2018. That said, we don't have any solid confirmation and the above facts are based on leaks emerging from various quarters.
It remains to be seen as to how consumers will accept the upcoming rumored Windows 10 phone when there are plenty of alternatives available in the Android segment. However, the Windows platform has a major chunk of a fan base and the device will sell well if the company manages to keep the cost at a level which average people can afford.
There were also reports of Microsoft launching a new series of Surface Phone with Snapdragon 835 processor and 8GB RAM. However, there has been no communication from the company regarding the arrival of the handset. Previously, there were rumors about the launch in January 2017 but nothing happened. We will continue to keep track of Microsoft Windows 10 smartphone related developments. Stay tuned.
