Microsoft almost made this Surface Phone, then killed it
Long before the Surface Duo, Microsoft may have been building a very different Surface Phone, and a newly surfaced prototype gives us a fascinating glimpse at what could have been.
Microsoft's history with smartphones could have taken a very different turn. Even before the Surface Duo and post-its Nokia acquisition, the company was rumored to be crafting a Windows Phone of its own. Though that phone was never released, newly surfaced images may give us a glimpse of its design. The prototype, believed to be from 2013 or 2014, was reportedly developed under the codename "Raven."
Sporting a clean metal frame reminiscent of the Surface 2, it displayed the Microsoft logo on the back. Navigation buttons were situated beneath a 720p display, with an unknown Qualcomm processor powering the device running an early development version of Windows Phone from September 2013.
Although the prototype's appeal might not be noteworthy by today's standards, its design is intriguing. The phone featured separate volume and camera buttons on the right, a power button on top, a headphone jack and micro-USB connection at the bottom, and a SIM card slot on the left. However, there's no confirmation if Raven was meant to be a commercial Surface Phone.
Microsoft likely tested multiple prototypes during this period, and this could have been one of them. Additionally, Microsoft reportedly explored the concept of a "Skype Phone" around 2013, a data-focused device leveraging Skype for calls and messaging instead of traditional cellular services. However, the timing of these projects leaves the connection to Raven uncertain.
Microsoft's acquisition of Nokia's devices and services in 2013 altered the equation. With its commercialization in 2014, any ambitions for a separate Microsoft-designed Windows Phone may have diminished. Post-acquisition, Microsoft continued to release Windows phones, including models like the Lumia 640, Lumia 950, Lumia 650, and Lumia 550.
However, by 2017, the company had gradually shifted focus away from Windows Phone, with the final nail in the coffin coming in 2017. The Surface Duo in 2020 marked a new era for Microsoft, this time as a dual-screen Android device rather than a traditional Windows-powered Surface Phone. This prototype, then, stands as an interesting relic of Microsoft's smartphone past, a potential contender for the Windows Phone throne that we'll never know the answer to.
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