Oct 04, 2016 09:09 PM EDT By Anita Valencia, UniversityHerald Reporter

Microsoft is expected to launch Surface Phone this year but the new rumor suggests another schedule. It is also speculated that the Windows 10 handset will get business-centric features.

Microsoft Surface Phone rumored specifications

Amidst the uncertainty in the release date, the rants build up around its specs. Surface Phone is said to target enterprise sector. The Register wrote that the Surface Phone could be a phone for work because Kevin Gallo, Windows Corporate VP, once stated that Microsoft is not abandoning Windows Mobile. And looking at Windows desktops that aim at high-end professional market, this would likely be the category for the Surface Phone as well.

Moving to the specifications, Surface Phone is rumored to be integrated with a powerful chipset. The rants point at Snapdragon 830 or possibly the Kaby Lake processor. However, Kaby Lake will make its debut in 2017 - and if the rumor is to be believed, consumers should expect Surfaace Phone launched sometime in 2017 as well.

There will likely be three variants of Surface Phone: 3GB RAM / 32GB, 6GB RAM / 128GB and 8GB RAM / 500GB. This is a speculative information reported by Trusted Reviews. There is also a mention of 5.7-inch Quad HD display and a 20 MP camera built by Carl Zeiss.

Microsoft Surface Phone release date

The previous rants pointed at this year release date alongside Surface Pro 5 but given the speculated specifications, Surface Phone could arrive sometime in 2017. It could be that Microsoft is waiting for the Redstone update to bring richer feature in the mobile phone.

Microsoft Surface Phone possible price

A smartphone for business is usually pricier. For those waiting for the Surface Phone, expect to pay $699 for the base model.

Now, the question to ask would be whether or not the aimed target market will buy the business-centric phone given the two powerful available platforms - Android and iOS - reigning the mobile world. Plus, these platforms have proven to deliver versatile, affordable devices that are not great for common users but also for the professionals.

Will Surface Phone survive the competition and succeed? We'll just have to wait to find out!

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