Microsoft working on Surface Phone for 2016 and new Lumia flagships with Snapdragon 820 chips

Microsoft is currently in the process of releasing its 2015 flagships, the Lumia 950 and the Lumia 950 XL, across the world. Fresh rumors, however, suggest the Redmond giant is already working on two flagship smartphones for 2016.

Word has it Microsoft is busy with a Surface-branded smartphone to be released in 2016. Nokia Power User (NPU), however, reported it won’t be the only flagship smartphone as Microsoft could be working on new Lumia flagships with Snapdragon 820 chipsets.

The Lumia 950 powered by the Snapdragon 808 chipset and the Lumia 950 XL powered by the Snapdragon 810 SoC come with advanced cooling features that dissipate heat generated by the processor.

The Snapdragon 820 chipset is built using a 14 nm process. It houses a 64-bit custom processor called Kyro and also features Adreno 530 graphics. The new Qualcomm chipset is expected to arrive with advanced cooling technology.

As for the Surface-branded smartphone, fresh information suggests that while it will be referred to as a flagship handset, it might not have with high-end specs. The Surface phone will be a productivity centric smartphone designed to deliver enhanced support for Win32 apps and Continuum. The Surface handset will be powered by an Intel processor.

According to an older post from NPU, the Surface Phone will be a business-minded handset powered by a 64-bit quad-core processor from Intel. It’s rumoured to be packed with other features like a 5.2-inch display, Windows 10 Mobile, Continuum, an iris canner, a USB Type-C connector, a 10 MP rear camera enabled with OS and a 5 MP front-facing camera.

The handset will boast premium appeal and is expected to wear a metallic chassis. Speculation also indicates the Microsoft Surface Phone is likely to release in the first quarter of 2016.

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