Microsoft recently launched a new range of Surface products, and now have a desktop, tablet, 2-in-one and laptop, but the line-up is conspicuous in missing a phone.
BusinessInsider addressed this with Microsoft general manager for Surface Ryan Gavin, who repeated a line we have been hearing a lot recently from Microsoft executives, ranging from Panos Panay all the way up to Satya Nadella.
While not admitting to working on such a device, he said that in true Surface fashion, if the long-rumoured, phone-like device does come out eventually, we can be sure that it “will not resemble what we know and think of as a phone today.”
His statement echoes a recent similar one by Satya Nadella, who said: “…in some sense when you say will we’ll make more phones, I’m sure we’ll make more phones, but they may not look like phones that are there today.”
A rash of recent patents by Microsoft strongly suggest the company is working on a dual-screened foldable tablet which can also make phone calls, but of course, there is no guarantee the device will ever get to market.
Interestingly when asked why Microsoft made the rather conventional Surface Laptop, Gavin simply answered: “I’m gonna give you the short, non-BS answer. Our customers wanted it.”
His statement is somewhat at odds with Microsoft PR who said Microsoft only made Surface products when breaking new ground for OEMs, but does suggest Microsoft is seeing their Surface unit as more than just an experiment, but rather a real business which needs to be responsive to their customers. Hopefully, there are still enough consumers who want a phone running Windows for Microsoft to invest in this segment also.
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