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The next Microsoft Surface might fix everything that’s wrong with the Galaxy Note 5

Updated Dec 19th, 2018 9:04PM EST
Microsoft Surface Mobile Windows 10 Smartphone

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Microsoft’s next Surface device might be a lot smaller than you think. And it won’t be a tablet, a new report says. Instead, the company is reportedly working on a high-end Surface Mobile phablet that’ll give the Galaxy Note 5 a run for the money, assuming the leaked specs are accurate.

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Windows tech blog WMPowerUser learned from sources familiar with Microsoft’s Windows 10 plans that the upcoming smartphone might be launched either at the end of 2015 or in early 2016.

The device will run Windows 10 mobile, and will complement Microsoft’s Lumia series of smartphones. Recent reports have suggested the company is working a couple of high-end Lumia devices, which might launch alongside this Surface Mobile handset.

The device has been in the works for a few years, WMPowerUser says, appearing as Project Juggernaut Alpha in previous leaks. But Microsoft never launched the handset, though it apparently kept working at it.

According to the site, the phone would feature a 5.5-inch ClearBlack AMOLED display with 2560 x 1440 resolution, 16:9 aspect ratio and Gorilla Glass 4, and a 64-bit Intel Atom x3 SoFIA chip. The device would come in two versions when it comes to RAM, including 3GB and 4GB models, and offer storage options including 64GB and 128GB, complete with microSD memory expansion.

The phablet would have a 21-megapixel PureView Zeiss 6-lens front-facing camera, 8-megapixel Zeiss wide-angle camera, USB Type-C port, Surface Pen stylus and an aluminum and magnesium body. The phone’s battery size isn’t mentioned, but wireless charging is apparently included.

From the looks of it, the phone might be right for those Galaxy Note 5 fans who can’t get over the lack of expandable storage, the absence of a 128GB version, or who want metal phone. However, Microsoft is yet to confirm this Surface Mobile phablet.

Actual images of a Surface Mobile prototype are’t available, but a screenshot from the Juggernaut Alpha running a test version of Windows follows below.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.