What is actually a Surface Phone? Mary Jo Foley believes ...

[Jack Neill]

I think a Surface Phone, will be just that. A evolution of the 9x line of phones and will not be "Lumia" branded but Surface branded. Its most likely not going to be x86 based but ARM based and will be what the original Surface line was supposed to be MS showing OEMs what can be done with hardware and then all the clones come out.

Alas my IMHO YMMV and bring your salt shaker...

 

[ArtificiallyYours]

I think the Surface Phone will be marketed towards surface users in general, rather than boasting about Consumer and Enterprise exclusive to one another. I have my doubts Microsoft will want to be "specific" if they ever market the 'Surface Phone', but I'll set my expectations accordingly and say it won't be for everyone.

 

[Chintan Gohel]

Reading through some of the posts here, it seems most people think of continuum as a feature to help you work better when you're travelling without a laptop with you.

Isn't the other case also that continuum is meant to reduce the amount of devices you'll need? Or to reduce the expenses in having many devices. Not right now of course but in the future when the costs come down.

 

[isaac lee ishida]

Microsoft clearly made a statement, they will focus on business only.
Surface Phone will be a focus on enterprise, if fans want to buy
a Surface Phone, they had to buy with very expensive price.

Maybe we can call it Surface Mobile, because no one is sure the screen size will be used.

 

[n m]

"I think that marketing a device for enterprise rather than consumers is a bad idea nowadays. The days of carrying 2 phones, 1 work-issued and 1 personal, are pretty much over.

BlackBerry hasn't had any success by concentrating on the enterprise market. "



I couldn't disagree more.
Enterprise is their strength, focus on your strength, win that part of the market first with a super slick, super secure must have "Surface Companion".
Then, just maybe, a portion of the consumer market may follow.

I use a work phone for personal and business, one phone works a treat. Problem is, yesterday I asked I.T to add the work email account to my mew 'Windows Phone' and the I.T consultant had never heard of a Windows Phone. How sad.

^^This too^^ In fact, I believe even at Microsoft itself most phones in use are BYOD. Only at the very top and in some select businesses is there even the remotest thought of supplying phones to workers here in the USA, and when you do that the execs carrying company phones don't want to have to also carry their own iPhone in order to be able to use their bank, order coffee, or check their frequent flyer miles. I don't know a single person that uses a phone supplied by their company.

I couldn't disagree more.
Enterprise is their strength, focus on your strength, win that part of the market first with a super slick, super secure must have "Surface Companion".
Then, just maybe, a portion of the consumer market may follow.

I use a work phone for personal and business, (supplied) one phone works a treat. Problem is, yesterday I asked I.T to add the work email account to my new 'Windows Phone' and the I.T consultant had never heard of a Windows Phone. How sad.

 

[HeyCori]

Just because I was curious about the soft slot in the keyboard......I picked up the keyboard and tilted it forward....it holds both devices firm as I had it almost 90 degree from flat. The 640XL has gloss back and it did not slip. I then set it on my lap and it is very easy to type with and as the keyboard is close to the weight of a laptop it is very stable. I can use the Pen on the tablet as it is in my lap and it will not tip forward.

I know the old saying is ..."Pics or it didn't happen".....so how about video proof?

http://youtu.be/sU5hEjEi6k8

I have that keyboard as well. Usually it sits on my desk but I've used it on my lap a handful of times. It's quite impressive how well devices stay in there. I have it synced with my phone and it's great for when I need to quickly bang out a few texts.

As for a Surface Phone, my personal opinion is that it needs to incorporate a physical keyboard. If Microsoft truly wants to attract enterprise customers, then the Surface Phone needs to be more than just a slightly bigger 950 XL. And that's on top of other features like a fingerprint scanner, Ink, and Continuum. Plus, it needs to come as part of some packaged deal that includes other Microsoft services. That's the only way I see Microsoft breaking through the BYOD wall.

 

[anon(5383410)]

Overlapping markets. The Surface line is doing well and the only way to convince someone to buy into a Surface Phone with Continuum is to convince them to leave their tablet/phablet/laptop at home. My Surface Book is light and my messenger bag is sexy, chicks dig it. You're not convincing me to leave it at home. So how are you going to convince me I need a phone with continuum? There's just no market for it. There's no mind blowing innovative new gap for them to bridge. Keep trying to break into the smartphone market or sell it off.

Anyone ever stop to think that no one has said Surface Phone out loud yet because *gasp* it doesn't exist?

 

[Chintan Gohel]

Overlapping markets. The Surface line is doing well and the only way to convince someone to buy into a Surface Phone with Continuum is to convince them to leave their tablet/phablet/laptop at home. My Surface Book is light and my messenger bag is sexy, chicks dig it. You're not convincing me to leave it at home. So how are you going to convince me I need a phone with continuum? There's just no market for it. There's no mind blowing innovative new gap for them to bridge. Keep trying to break into the smartphone market or sell it off.

Anyone ever stop to think that no one has said Surface Phone out loud yet because *gasp* it doesn't exist?

I think the surface line is great and it's for the present and near future. Far into the future one device would be all that we need which would be a mobile device able to scale up using continuum. Your surface works great as a tablet but not as a phone. Your future phone (think 5 years) works great as a phone and quite well as a pc when connected to a display

 

[anon(5383410)]

I think the surface line is great and it's for the present and near future. Far into the future one device would be all that we need which would be a mobile device able to scale up using continuum. Your surface works great as a tablet but not as a phone. Your future phone (think 5 years) works great as a phone and quite well as a pc when connected to a display

I don't want my laptop to work as a phone nor the opposite. When I want to dial 7 digits I want a 5.xxx inch phone. When I want to compose word docs, spreadsheets, and any work-related task I'm popping open my surface book. This coming from someone in their 30s, not some baby boomer resistant to change. I just don't need a phone that can connect to a display when I already have my very light laptop with me at all times anyway.

Let's not forget the cool factor in all of this. Apple's slew of ads painting PCs as "geek tech" and anything Apple as cool nearly killed MS and certainly propelled Apple to the forefront. Do you really want MS pushing another enterprise "nerdware" product that overlaps with the iPhones and Galaxys of the world? "Enthusiast" is just code for nerd.

 

[Gregory Newman]

If Intel does not make a custom Atom CPU for the Surface Pro smart phone so it can run Win32 x86 Desktop PC Programs then a Surface smart phone will run an ARMs CPU which cannot run Win32 x86 Desktop PC programs and will be like the HP Elite X3 which is a super well built Windows 10 mobile smart phone with the "Continuum" feature. Microsoft could however make an 8 inch Atom CPU tablet that is set up to dual use full Windows 10 desktop PC/Tablet OS and Windows 10 mobile OS. It appears that Microsoft will design their "Surface" smart phones but will pay "Foxconn" and other device Manufacturers make the Physical Surface smart phones for them which they will resell to Carriers and Businesses and to Individuals through their Physical stores and Online store and perhaps through 3rd party stores like Best Buy USA, Amazon. and others. Windows Surface smart phones will be designed to be "Business Class" smart phones as opposed to a Consumer based smart phone.. Windows 10 Mobile smart phones are not dead but will Probably be the new "Surface" brand smart phones with the "Lumia" brand from Nokia being "Retired".

 

[nw47978]

Could it be Nokia communicator design are making a comeback?

Those patents look like the Surface Book to me, nothing new...

 

[Gregory Newman]

When HP made their Windows 10 mobile Elite X3 Continuum class smart phone they made the perfect dumb Laptop accessory to
make Windows 10 mobile continuum smart phones more useful. you carry the HP elite X3 and the Laptop accessory use your HP Elite X3 Continuum class smart phone. to view and make Documents, play games, watch Netflix, You tube, access your document in onedrive or remotely access your business or at home Personal PC . hmm some people will like using a smart phone and dumb laptop in that way

 

[Gregory Newman]

folks do not be surprised if Microsoft and others make monitors that are designed to work flawlessly with microsoft Windows 10 mobile smart phones with Continuum mode. these monitors will sense and be able to immediately sync with and pick up Windows 10 mobile smart phone that is Continuum mode and display the Windows 10 mobile smart phones screen in a resizable window. a person can the use the on screen keyboard or a blue tooth mouse and keyboard to navigate the screen and use apps.

 

[onysi]

if its 9 inches, its clearly a clam shell phone that u can expand. oh man this is epic.

 

[Major Plonquer]

It will have a 4" screen. And a 6" screen. And a 9" screen. And a 12" screen. And a stylus too.

 

[Zidentia]

In business most travelers use at least two devices; a phone and a laptop. The issue most seem to gloss over in these discussions is the continued march towards convergence devices is flawed and fails to take into account basic human tendencies and limitations. As humans we crave multi tasking because it seems to solve our need for efficiencies in our day to day but we are limited. Our brain can process nearly as many things as we take in but our process driven body demands core functionality from the brain and much like an interrupt for a processor, places other process's lower in the Que and defeats the idea of true convergence. Our largest failing is indeed our physical body due to the natural design that favors flight over thought.

So we default to multiple devices, not out of desire, but of necessity to preserve true functionality and efficiency. If you look at forward thinking strategies by any technology company, none of them show a truly converged world to interact with due to the fact it is actually limiting to the human condition. Humans need and crave multiple interfaces to work through the limitation of our physical side. The Surface line of products then, in my opinion, is the effort by Microsoft to balance the convergence we want with the reality of the limitations. In my research on Microsoft Mobile they seem to be letting certain efforts play out while they engineer the true goal in the background which is the the universal software that allows for coverage from mobile to cloud usage.

There may be a mini surface coming and past reports, verified by Microsoft, do indicate they have created such a product. A Surface version makes sense if we look at a progression as they fill out the line with a Mobile device. If you read internal memos and certain public statements by Microsoft about the HP Elite there does appear to be some consensus that they feel this is a product they feel strongly about when used in enterprise.

I think for now, consumer is non mover for Microsoft and they will approach it again once the full scope of their strategy play out.

 

[Eric Hamilton]

Could this be a Surface Phone?

 

[BluetoothFairy1]

I hope MSFT surprises us all and comes up with a game changer. Anything I've read in the comments above still sounds like a rethought smartphone and to a real revolution. If I break my own needs into basics I keep getting back to two things: I want a device to allow for communications where I don't have to be fumbling around in pockets. I want also a device where I can have some real estate to view and interact with content.
So, for me it always comes back to a 2 form-factor device - a wearable, which can connect to a bigger second half with a display. Whether they physically connect or are wireless, I don't know. The MSFT Vision 2020 video above has a lot of cool ideas I could identify with.
I personally hope for a 3'-4" wearable and a similar or bigger second half, also with a display, which would contain more power. MSFT has successfully piloted the separation of components in the SurfaceBook, so it must be doable.

 

[Angry_Mushroom]

All the renders are old, the rumored specs are a 12 year old's wishlist, and with the sales of the phone division... nah. I call BS. Until MS announces it I'll consider it purely vaporware and a pipe dream. If such a flagship devices does get released... I cannot imagine it selling well or having much a sales pitch. Lumia gave up the imaging crown to the Galaxy S7, stability from what I can tell here lags behind even Android, and designs make the HTC One M10/whatever look like a brilliant clean sheet design.

Since moving to android with my LG G3... I'll say this. Specs won't matter if MS can't get some solid app support. (Which has only gotten worse since I changed over last year.)

 

[Brian Emmerling]

Paul Thurrott, isn't he the guy who said the ipad will be a huge failure?