It was clear at launch all the way back in 2010 that Microsoft’s revamped mobile platform wasn’t perfect, but it showed so much promise. The company’s interface was fresh and modern, offering real utility that rival platforms didn’t provide. But that differentiation would ultimately lead to Windows Phone’s demise — Android and iOS were in the process of taking over the world, and there was simply no reason for developers or users to embrace another platform.
Now, Windows Phone is all but dead, and not even Microsoft’s sleek new Surface phone will be able to save it.
DON’T MISS: 10 Netflix movies you have to watch before they disappear this week
To be frank, there is simply no logical reason for 99% of the world to buy a Windows Phone. Of course, that probably explains why Microsoft’s share of the global smartphone market fell below 1% in the first quarter this year. That’s more than just an embarrassing stat for Microsoft, which still can’t find a way to make Windows Phone appealing six years after its debut. It’s also a painfully clear indication that you shouldn’t purchase a Windows-powered smartphone, no matter how appealing it looks.
And the new Surface phone certainly looks appealing.
Microsoft had planned to launch its own smartphone with Surface branding back in 2012, as BGR exclusively reported and WSJ later reiterated. Those plans were ultimately scrapped and Microsoft would go on to acquire Nokia’s smartphone business, perhaps the largest in a long line of mobile missteps. Now, it’s too late to save Windows Phone, but that seemingly won’t stop Microsoft from trying.
Despite a rocky start, Microsoft found some amount of success with its Surface line of Windows hybrid laptops. The company will seemingly try to replicate that success with an upcoming Surface Phone, but there’s obviously one major difference that will pose an insurmountable road block: people use Windows on laptops. They do not use Windows on phones.
Will this Surface Phone change your mind?
It looks sleek enough, but no, it won’t change your mind at all.
The photo above was posted on Baidu in the user forum and while nothing has been confirmed, it is believed to be authentic and it comes from a source that has leaked accurate info in the past. The photo shows a Surface Phone with a nifty keyboard cover that appears similar in functionality to the Touch Cover line of accessories Microsoft created for its surface tablets. The post also stated that the phone will have a 5.7-inch touchscreen display with 2K resolution, a 20-megapixel rear camera with a Carl Zeiss lens, and a Snapdragon 830 processor.
Earlier rumors suggest that the phone could pack killer specs that include as much as 8GB of RAM and up to half a terabyte of storage. That all sounds great, but it’s sadly years too late to matter.
