If you are part of the cult-like group that dreams of a future Surface Phone, which includes myself, this is an interesting milestone. If such a device has been in the works in the past, Intel's cancellation of Morganfield (Broxton SoC for phones) was a huge set-back.
Microsoft pursuing x86 emulation on ARM, while certainly of interest to low-cost traditional form-factors such as laptops and tablets, is also interesting because it reinvigorates the idea of a Surface Phone. Of course, the reality remains to be seen.
For those unfamiliar, the concept that many of us imagine for a Surface Phone includes an evolution of today's Windows 10 Mobile Continuum feature that, as with Ubuntu Phones and some fringe Android devices, allows a phone to act as a full computer when docked to a keyboard, mouse, and display. While Continuum exists today on devices such as the Lumia 950 and HP Elite x3, it is limited to Windows' "Universal" applications, and does not work with x86 or even older Windows Phone applications. Still, the appeal of a single-device lifestyle is considerable and many people would love to simplify the technology in their life to a phone that is also their desktop/mobile computer. Many of the youngest generation already do this by simply conceding (willingly or unknowingly) they will never enjoy the advantages of computing with large monitors, keyboards, and mice.
In order for a single device to successfully fulfill these multiple roles, it needs to be able to run real applications and not just in a "enlarged phone OS" fashion seen on devices such as the iPad Pro.
If a Surface Phone were to materialize, I would expect Windows 10 Mobile and Windows 10 to become more converged than they are today. When using Continuum on a Lumia 950, Windows 10 Mobile is doing a respectable job of impersonating a Windows 10 desktop; but it's a veneer. For a Surface Phone to be a viable computer, I think it would start with Windows 10 (full version for ARM) and adapt downward to the phone form-factor, rather than today's opposite of a phone-tailored operating system adapting upward. Yes, W10 and W10M are very similar today, but a SP device would, I feel, push them closer together.
Of course, there is no genuine credible news on such as device, and Microsoft has dodged questions, even downplaying the likelihood of such a device. There seems to be a widespread opinion that one should not even try to build momentum in today's phone market, which I feel is shockingly myopic and pessimistic. Of course it's not a simple matter to establish a foothold in mobile, but previous efforts, while half-hearted at times were nevertheless making (slow) progress until Microsoft pulled the rug out from beneath Windows Phone 8. The biggest challenge to a Surface Phone would be bigger than technology: it would be a test of Microsoft's commitment to the idea.
I was very enthusiastic about both Microsoft Phone and Ubuntu Phone, I still am. I'd love to replace all my devices with a single below 7-8" phone that could run x86 apps at the performance level of Macbook Air 2013. Since most of my dev work goes on in Intellij IDEs and I use cloud for more demanding machine learning tasks, I don't really need much performance from the workstation to merit having a dedicated notebook/pc for it.
Microsoft pursuing x86 emulation on ARM, while certainly of interest to low-cost traditional form-factors such as laptops and tablets, is also interesting because it reinvigorates the idea of a Surface Phone. Of course, the reality remains to be seen.
For those unfamiliar, the concept that many of us imagine for a Surface Phone includes an evolution of today's Windows 10 Mobile Continuum feature that, as with Ubuntu Phones and some fringe Android devices, allows a phone to act as a full computer when docked to a keyboard, mouse, and display. While Continuum exists today on devices such as the Lumia 950 and HP Elite x3, it is limited to Windows' "Universal" applications, and does not work with x86 or even older Windows Phone applications. Still, the appeal of a single-device lifestyle is considerable and many people would love to simplify the technology in their life to a phone that is also their desktop/mobile computer. Many of the youngest generation already do this by simply conceding (willingly or unknowingly) they will never enjoy the advantages of computing with large monitors, keyboards, and mice.
In order for a single device to successfully fulfill these multiple roles, it needs to be able to run real applications and not just in a "enlarged phone OS" fashion seen on devices such as the iPad Pro.
If a Surface Phone were to materialize, I would expect Windows 10 Mobile and Windows 10 to become more converged than they are today. When using Continuum on a Lumia 950, Windows 10 Mobile is doing a respectable job of impersonating a Windows 10 desktop; but it's a veneer. For a Surface Phone to be a viable computer, I think it would start with Windows 10 (full version for ARM) and adapt downward to the phone form-factor, rather than today's opposite of a phone-tailored operating system adapting upward. Yes, W10 and W10M are very similar today, but a SP device would, I feel, push them closer together.
Of course, there is no genuine credible news on such as device, and Microsoft has dodged questions, even downplaying the likelihood of such a device. There seems to be a widespread opinion that one should not even try to build momentum in today's phone market, which I feel is shockingly myopic and pessimistic. Of course it's not a simple matter to establish a foothold in mobile, but previous efforts, while half-hearted at times were nevertheless making (slow) progress until Microsoft pulled the rug out from beneath Windows Phone 8. The biggest challenge to a Surface Phone would be bigger than technology: it would be a test of Microsoft's commitment to the idea.