Microsoft Surface Phone Prototype Revealed
Introduction
The smartphone industry has been a two-horse race for a while now, with Apple iPhone and Samsung Galaxy series dominating the market. However, it wasn’t always this way. Microsoft was once a major player in the smartphone market with its Windows Phone platform, and even acquired Nokia in 2014. Although this move ultimately proved to be a failure, and Microsoft exited the market a few years later, a recent leak has given us a glimpse of what could have been.
The Surface Phone Prototype
A fresh image has emerged on Windows Central, showing a prototype for the so-called Surface Phone, which dates back to 2013. The device was reportedly set to launch alongside the Microsoft Surface Pro 2-in-1 and was powered by an unnamed Qualcomm chip. The display is a humble 720p affair, but this was around the time when 1080p was just becoming a normal spec.
The design of the phone itself is very much in keeping with the company’s Surface aesthetic, which is also seen in the Microsoft Surface Duo 2. It features a flat-edged metallic body and a Windows logo on the back. On the front, below the display, there are three navigation keys, with the Windows logo in the middle. There’s also a single camera on the back, similar to the Apple iPhone 13.
Design and Features
According to the report, there are individual volume up and down buttons on the right-hand edge, and a power button on the top, with a 3.5mm headphone jack (similar to the Samsung Galaxy S22) on the bottom alongside the micro-USB port. Despite its age and some of these obviously dated elements, I think this is a bit of a looker. While I was a fan of Nokia’s design work during this period (the Nokia Lumia 920’s unibody polycarbonate shell still feels like a good idea today), this Microsoft design seems to have been just ahead of where smartphone design ended up going during the metal unibody era.
In comparison to other smartphones of that time, such as the Apple iPhone 5s and the Samsung Galaxy S4, the Surface Phone prototype seems to have had a unique design. The use of a metallic body and a Windows logo on the back gives it a premium feel, similar to the iPad Air M2. However, the lack of a front camera and a relatively low-resolution display might have been a drawback for some users.
Conclusion
Who knows what might have been if Microsoft had opted to launch this phone off its own back? The Surface Phone prototype is an interesting glimpse into what could have been, and it’s a shame that we never got to see it in action. Perhaps Microsoft could have given Apple and Samsung a run for their money, and the smartphone market might be a very different place today. As it stands, we can only speculate about what could have been, and look to future devices like the Apple Watch Series 10 for innovation.
