There has long been eclectic whispers of what the Surface Phone could be, and Satya Nadella, Microsoft's chief executive, isn't one to simply ward those rumors off from the mill. In fact, the CEO has even somewhat thrilled those who are stuck in speculation about Microsoft's next lineup of smartphones.
The 'Ultimate Mobile Device'
In an interview with the Australian Financial Review posted Monday, the same one where Nadella threw a bit of subtle shade at Apple, he confirmed that Microsoft was currently conducting "innovative" research that would bolster the company's presence in the smartphone market.
However, Microsoft wants to approach the smartphone race differently, disregarding the game of catch-up other phone makers have been increasingly guilty of and instead pursuing to create the "ultimate mobile device," in Nadella's own words.
"We will continue to be in the phone market not as defined by today's market leaders, but by what it is that we can uniquely do in what is the most ultimate mobile device," he told the Australian Financial Review.
According to Nadella, Microsoft has no plans of launching a phone that doesn't bring something innovative to the table, since it's more attuned to the behavior of people and organizations in relation to mobile devices, instead of the device itself.
"[T]he question is, what can we bring? That's where I look at any device form factor or any technology, even AI," he said.
Surface Phone Rumors
Surface Phone rumors have been ambling for quite some time now, with the resounding notion that it could complement other products in Microsoft's Surface line, such as the Surface Pro and the acclaimed Surface Studio.
Some predict a mobile phone running on Windows 10 Mobile OS, while others lean more toward a device that sports a physical keyboard. Others have also noted that the HP Elite x3, advertised as a PC-capable smartphone, could also hint at which direction Microsoft intends to tread along in the smartphone business. Microsoft's vision of an ultimate mobile device is far too thin to stretch as of this time, and it remains to be seen whether it could truly clinch an official comeback.
However the Surface Phone turns out, it'll unarguably serve as a second chance for Microsoft to reenter the smartphone race after failing to win consumers even with the Nokia acquisition two years ago. Its smartphone business has visibly struggled over the years, and if this ultimate mobile device proves revolutionary as the company intends it to be, then Microsoft could assume its place once again in the painstakingly competitive smartphone industry.
Do you think Microsoft could possibly be a front-runner in the smartphone race with its ultimate mobile device? Feel free to sound off in the comments section below.
