After discontinuing its Lumia line brand last year, Microsoft has so far made no indications of a possible re-entry into the smartphone market. While we have been hearing rumors of a Surface Phone for a long time now, the latest rumor suggests the device will not be arriving before the end of 2019. However, according…
After discontinuing its Lumia line brand last year, Microsoft has so far made no indications of a possible re-entry into the smartphone market. While we have been hearing rumors of a Surface Phone for a long time now, the latest rumor suggests the device will not be arriving before the end of 2019. However, according to a Microsoft Store rep, the company is currently working on a new phone that will be powered by Google’s Android operating system.
Replying to a query on when the Lumia phones will be back in stock, a Microsoft Store rep has claimed that the Windows Phone engineers are currently focusing on releasing a new model. While he did not divulge any significant information regarding the design or features of the handset, he did say that it will “be powered by Android for sure”. He also confirmed that the device will indeed by Microsoft-branded. While the idea of Microsoft releasing an Android smartphone isn’t unimaginable, we should take this report with a grain of salt as support reps aren’t usually very well informed regarding upcoming product launches.
There is no word yet on the release date either, although if the device does exist and is currently under development, there is a chance that it could be made official by the end of this year. However, seeing how the latest rumors have suggested that the Surface Phone has been delayed until late 2019, we wouldn’t be surprised if the Microsoft Android smartphone arrives sometime early next year.
As many of you might be aware, Microsoft’s Windows Phone operating system failed to achieve much popularity during the period that it was alive. In fact, Microsoft earned more from the sales of Android devices thanks to its licensing agreements with Android OEMs. Microsoft also offers a wide range of apps for the Android operating system currently and has partnered with Samsung in the recent past to ship Galaxy smartphones with select Microsoft apps from the factory. If Microsoft is actually working on an Android smartphone, it will certainly come with Microsoft’s app and services suite out of the box, along with other customizations. Even though Microsoft seems to have given up on the idea of creating a new mobile operating system for smartphones, it is expected to integrate at least some Windows Phone features to its custom Android skin.
As with any manufacturer, the success of the Microsoft Android smartphone will depend on how good the device is as an overall package. The Redmond-based company will also have to make sure that it provides users with high value for money and introduce at least a few new innovative features.
