The new Surface device (Phone thingy)....... What do we want peeps.

[Bobvfr]

So we have been discussing the Surface phone for ages, there is a thread about using the Lumia or Surface name.

As we can probably guess MS will not be releasing a phone in the future regardless of name.

However we hope they will release something that can fit in the mobile market, yet still be a tablet and a PC.

So this got me thinking, what do we actually want the mythical "Surface phone" to be.

Well it's got to fit in a pocket (Best will in the world my SP4 just wont go in), so probably about the size of a current 950XL (The 1520 was only a little bit bigger, but just a tad too large).

It can then fold out with one or better still two extra screens to turn into a tablet of about 5 1/2 inches by 8 inches or a little more.

It needs USB C to connect to the world.

It should have a pen (Or use a Surface one)

It needs to run full blown Windows 10.

It needs a high speed always on data connection, with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth as well.

It (Or Windows) needs to have some way of using standard mobile telephony.

As I have said so many times I like Skype, I have a Skype number, subscriptions but prefer Skype for Skyping...... Let us use the Phone and Messaging apps.

MS have got to come up with a way of integrating peoples mobile numbers, either to the device or some way of linking your mobile number to your MS account, that way if someone calls my current mobile number it will ring on all my devices (Or whatever I choose to accept calls on). I want to be able to call, receive calls, send or receive texts across the board, Surface, Surface "Phone", Xbox One, you name it.

Whilst still keeping my existing mobile number (I like it).

What else do you want on any new Windows 10 small device (No it's not a phone)...... ?

 

[TechFreak1]

So we have been discussing the Surface phone for ages, there is a thread about using the Lumia or Surface name.

As we can probably guess MS will not be releasing a phone in the future regardless of name.

However we hope they will release something that can fit in the mobile market, yet still be a tablet and a PC.

So this got me thinking, what do we actually want the mythical "Surface phone" to be.

Well it's got to fit in a pocket (Best will in the world my SP4 just wont go in), so probably about the size of a current 950XL (The 1520 was only a little bit bigger, but just a tad too large).

It can then fold out with one or better still two extra screens to turn into a tablet of about 5 1/2 inches by 8 inches or a little more.

It needs USB C to connect to the world.

It should have a pen (Or use a Surface one)

It needs to run full blown Windows 10.

It needs a high speed always on data connection, with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth as well.

It (Or Windows) needs to have some way of using standard mobile telephony.

As I have said so many times I like Skype, I have a Skype number, subscriptions but prefer Skype for Skyping...... Let us use the Phone and Messaging apps.

MS have got to come up with a way of integrating peoples mobile numbers, either to the device or some way of linking your mobile number to your MS account, that way if someone calls my current mobile number it will ring on all my devices (Or whatever I choose to accept calls on). I want to be able to call, receive calls, send or receive texts across the board, Surface, Surface "Phone", Xbox One, you name it.

Whilst still keeping my existing mobile number (I like it).

What else do you want on any new Windows 10 small device (No it's not a phone)...... ?

One thing I will change to that list is Windows 10 on ARM, I do not want native Win32 code on a phone and it's accompanying flaws + vulnerabilities.:wink:.

 

[Bobvfr]

Relatively easily solved I would have thought, release it with Windows 10 S, anyone who wants to go to full blown can have the option like they have on the laptop.

I have to admit I am very ambivalent to "Programs" over store apps, on my SP4 I have 1 installed program and that is an old copy of Paint Shop Pro 5 I bought many years ago, I use this as its probably the easiest program/app I have found that will do the simple editing I require, resize, crop, change file types etc. My wife has no non store programs, she could easily convert to S.

I keep on hearing about all these millions of PC programs, but it hasn't had me scouring the web to find them. I am sure others will feel different, but for me the store apps, especially the MS in house ones just work.

OK I just looked at my list of programs, I have 7, PSP5, HP printer software and 5 from MS (Office, OneDrive, Upgrade assistant and two Visual C)

And don't forget, this wont be a "Phone", just a small PC that can do what a current "Phone", tablet and PC can do.

 

[Chintan Gohel]

I keep on hearing about all these millions of PC programs, but it hasn't had me scouring the web to find them.

I have quite a few and so does my brother

• Office programs - the whole suite
• Mozilla Firefox
• Rawtherapee for editing raw photos
• Affinity photo
• Videomach for creating timelapses
• Windows media player for playing music - I always use it in skinned mode
• Any video converter
• IDM
• Autocad
• Glary utilities
• Graph software
• Sketchup
• Irfanview
• GIMP
• VLC - my brother uses it sometimes
• Kaspersky AV
• Superantispyware
• and a few others

 

[covfefe]

Should have at least 17 hour battery life, and a SKU with e-ink. Stop the nonsense of phones getting thinner for no reason, and needing to add a case and a powerbank.

Good camera, dual sim, USB-C, wireless charging, removable battery (or sleek add-on extra battery)... all go without saying.

Whatever they do, they should not try to copy the competition, that will only result in a me-too device without the apps.