A new flagship Smartphone cold be joining Microsoft’s Surface hardware lineup before the end of the year – the unannounced McLaren handset with unique 3D UI.
Rumors of a Microsoft Surface Phone have been doing the rounds ever since Redmond first announced its plans to get into the tablet PC game all those years ago. With a world of Windows PCs and a fair few million Windows slates doing the rounds, it seemed only logical that the next step forward would be a Smartphone to tie up the Microsoft ecosystem.
The fact that we’re still talking figuratively several years later proves just how far off the mark we all were at the time, but the idea of a Microsoft flagship phone is once again being floated this very week.
It’s once again the folks from the Chinese media we have to thank for the tip-off, which in this case refers to the so-called McLaren Smartphone built by Microsoft in conjunction with Nokia. Having taken over the handset business of the Finnish firm in a quite colossal acquisition, Redmond now has more than enough firepower to make the Surface Phone happen…even though it will most likely go by a very different name.
The latest reports on the subject speak of a seriously high-end piece of kit, which could be the first of its kind to feature a ‘3D Touch’ interface. Roughly translated, by using a series of sensors it would be possible for the device to read and interpret a variety of three-dimensional gestures made by its respective user, without them having to make physical contact with the touchscreen.
In addition to the unique UI, the McLaren is also tipped to boast 1080p HD resolution, a screen size of around 5.2-inches and 64GB of onboard storage as standard.
Redmond continues its refusal to answer direct questions on any of its future hardware releases including the Surface Phone, though analysts expect to see the device before the end of the year.