If one were to believe Microsoft, the mobile phones and the technology behind them, as it exists today, is as good as dead and the tech giant says they are working on something completely different and that will be future of communication.
What is being hinted at here is Microsoft’s Surface Andromeda that is said to be working on a mobile device that will feature a foldable design. More than the hardware, Microsoft is keen to do bring in some qualitative changes in the operating system, Windows Core.
On the design front, one can relate to the Surface tablets that also sport the foldable option with a hinge in the middle helping with spreading the display. The new Surface Andromeda project will also be releasing mobile phones with similar foldable design with a hinge acting as the connector between the 2 panels and there will 3 distinct option, 0 degrees, 180 degrees and 360 degrees.
Now, the more exciting information on the Windows Core OS. The concept being worked upon, if these reports are to be believed, will be to have a universal OS that can be deployed across all mobile devices that Microsoft makes and sells, phones, tablets and desktops. It will fundamentally be the Windows 10 platform only but with the modifications required to support the mobile format for usage. In a narrow sense, one can equate this with the iOS that also has a similar characteristic. The tiles that you are used to with the Windows OS for years will continue and will not be abandoned.
There is even a rumor emerging from China that the new mobile device that Microsoft will release under the Andromeda project may sport a feature enabling the user to turn the device into a projector for making presentations etc. This feature will permit the mobile phone to use the projector mode for about an hour. It has to be mentioned that there is absolutely no confirmation on this bit of news and cannot be taken on its face value.
Besides the above, the Surface Andromeda phones are also likely to be equipped with note taking capabilities with the Windows Ink and Surface Pen playing their part and Microsoft’s One Note will also see some upgrades to facilitate this capability.
With regard to the processor that the new Surface Andromeda phones may be fitted with, the speculation is that Qualcomm’s next version Snapdragon 845 may be the chipset Microsoft may go in for. This also tallies with the earlier Windows 10 on ARM project that the company is already working on where the battery life is being attempted to be stretched to one full day and this could be extended to the phones as well.
None of the details above have received any official confirmation from Microsoft.