Microsoft Surface Phone release date, news: tests currently conducted for prototype model; HP Elite X3, Windows phone come out as alternative

Catherine Salvador Tuesday, December 27, 2016

Panos Panay, Corporate Vice President for Surface Computing holds the new Microsoft Surface Studio computer at a live event in the Manhattan borough of New York City, October 26, 2016. | Reuters/Lucas Jackson

Microsoft will not be beaten by tech leaders Apple and Samsung in the mobile industry. With their highly anticipated Surface Phone, enthusiasts are ready to compare what the handset has against the latest from the iPhone and the Galaxy lines.

Latest news has it that the Microsoft Surface Phone will create a new benchmark of smartphones through its Windows operating system. Microsoft has acquired Nokia in 2013 and came out with the Lumia series. However, the first few models did not perform well in the market.

It seems like Microsoft is not backing down from downfall and are putting high hopes on the performance of Surface Phone, considering the fact that Nokia has competitive professionals who can create a handset that will be on par with the latest technology.

According to Hard Avenue, the company has been keeping a silent lip over their smartphone plans, but it is expected that a flagship model will be announced in 2017. It is said to make Windows Phone back in the market, but with an entirely different concept.

It could be remembered that Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and chief marketing officer Chris Capossela already hinted at the Surface Phone's features, which is described as "the ultimate mobile device."

As of this writing, Microsoft is reportedly developing the handset still. In fact, there have been several testing processes done for the model's prototypes, which is said to confirm the Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835 chipset rumor.

In the meantime, while enthusiasts are waiting for the Surface Phone come out, HP Elite X3 or Windows phone may be an alternative device. Either of the devices is perfect for those who could not wait for the Surface phone anymore.

HP Elite X3 is believed to have a Windows 10 operating system with 4 GB of random-access memory (RAM) and 64 GB of internal storage. It is said to have a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 and an Adreno 530 graphics processing unit (GPU).