Microsoft Surface Phone 2017 Designs Tease Expanding Display

The rumors about Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) and its widely speculated Surface Phone continue to surge well into the new year. In an interview two months ago, Satya Nadella, the U.S. software major's CEO, made it clear that Microsoft has no plans to exit the mobile phone market. Although, the chief executive did not go into any specifics about the actual future of Microsoft smartphones.

Filling that silence, rumors and alleged leaks come crawling out the woodwork. There is talk of a incoming Microsoft handset with a fold-out display. The product is backed by reports of an ongoing patent filing by the company. Analysts are adamant that Microsoft intends to add a new range of smartphones to its Surface lineup. Microsoft actively pursues to add new dimensions of innovation and convenience to its gadgets. The firm's efforts have not gone unnoticed, and translate well into the growing appeal of it hardware.

Speaking to the Australian Financial Review, Nadella explains Microsoft's refreshed approach on consumer and business products."We don't want to be driven buy just envy of what others have. What can we bring? That's where I look at any device form factor or any technology, even AI."

Powerful push with Surface Phone

The Surface Phone would be a strong push from Microsoft — a company that is currently witnessing its smartphone ventures fall flat. The firm's mutli-billion adoption of Nokia's smartphone business shows no signs of getting off the ground. Analysts expect the Lumia range to be written off. Microsoft's new push in the smartphone segment could come in the form of a surface device. Nadella claims the company had to go back to the drawing board with new ideas driving the design and function of its next set of products.

The alleged, upcoming mobile device is said to offer near-PC like capacity, using the latest in Intel's early 2017 processors. It is naturally bound to be a Windows phone. The latest and most innovative use of the Windows 10 Mobile operating system is also a given.

The Elite x3 from HP is thought to be a massive hint at where Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) plans to take its next handset. HP's device is a Windows Phone with a near PC-like capacity. The device produced by one of Microsoft's leading partners stands as a good example of the company's mobile ambitions.

"What we are going to do is focus [our] effort on places that have differentiation." Nadella said. "If you take Windows Phone, where we are differentiated in Windows Phone, its manageability, its security, its Continuum capability, that is the ability to have a phone that, in fact, can even act like a PC."

Foldout Microsoft phone

It is reported that Microsoft is trying to obtain the patent rights for a device with a screen that folds out. The feature would allow the small, hand-held gadget to be transformed into a tablet. MSPoweruser was the first to report the filing. At the very least, it proves that Microsoft is playing around with the idea of a foldable smartphone. More details about the gadget can be found here.

Of course, Microsoft is one of the numerous tech giants who file patents that never make it to production. Such reports often need to be taken with a grain of salt. On the other hand, products like the new Surface Studio were leaked months ahead of their official launch. It is possible this fold-out design won't make it to the Surface Phone. However, it definitely shows how Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) plans to build more bridges between everyday hardware.

Source: Microsoft Surface Phone 2017 Designs Tease Expanding Display