Windows Central Podcast 41: What OS Should the Surface Phone run?

By Zac Bowden
last updated

This week on the Windows Central Podcast: We talk new the Windows 10 Creators Update RTM and rollout, Windows 7 update blocks, and what OS should the Surface Phone run?

The Windows 10 Creators Update is now basically done, meaning Insider should already be testing the final bits. We also talk the Surface Phone, and how some of us thing it should run Windows 10 Mobile and others think it should run full Windows 10. All that and more on this weeks episode!

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Zac Bowden
Zac Bowden
Senior Editor

Zac Bowden is a Senior Editor at Windows Central. Bringing you exclusive coverage into the world of Windows on PCs, tablets, phones, and more. Also an avid collector of rare Microsoft prototype devices! Keep in touch on Twitter: @zacbowden.

70 Comments
  • Relevant forum thread about the Surface Phone OS question:  http://forums.windowscentral.com/windows-10-mobile/451045-what-would-you... Asking people what they would do differently if they had full Windows running on ARM devices.
  • Question shouldn't be which OS, but what functionality and experience should it enable.
  • Question should be if it really exist. Myself, personally, I believe with all the fuss something definitely is going on, and if it wasn't before, then it probably is by now, if MS is listening. Even non WP fans, and media outlets, are interested in the idea of a "Surface Phone"..... Nevertheless, that's just not good enough for me. I want to see some solid information besides that patent from MS, which doesn't guarantee anything is coming.. A leak, even a tiny leak, would be nice. One thing for sure, if MS is developing something they are guarding it with military grade protecting, and they are good at it. They've actually been good at with everything Surface, so far... But, the suspense is killing me, especially considering this 950 won't last forever, and I don't want anything else unless it's a "Surface Phone".
  • Agreed. In an ideal world we'd love the functionality of Windows 10 in the lightweight package of Windows 10 Mobile - it's just a question of how much of that functionality of the full OS they can bring over to mobile. Right now it doesn't look like they're trying to bring much if any of that functionality over which leads us to thinking W10ARM is the future they're aiming at. Of course, the device itself also needs to have a selling point of it's own in the hardware. As the podcast says, it simply can't be another box with a screen. The hardware, too, has to bring new functionality. What will that be? We won't know for a looong time.
  • That's exactly what I'm thinking... WOA.
  • Question should be:
    Is the Surface Phone vaporware?
    At this point with ZERO talk from MS, the answer is YES.
  • Mobile and use a dock to run Win32 applications in tandem with the built-in x64 SOC in the doc. As that avoids the issues of security leaks and risk of baking your phone aswell as your nether regions once you've finished working with phone on a big screen lol. If they can get full windows on arm to run on the device extremely fluidly along with intensive applications like DAWs, Premier pro etc and doesn't turn the phone into a mini oven then why not?
  • Trick question? There is no Surface Phone - so the answer is WE DON'T CARE!!
  • How are you so sure about that?
  • @shamird, there is no "I" in "We", lol you don't speak for all of us and most of us do care :).
     
  • I was gonna say the same thing...
  • What about "Wii"? :P 
  • @Cure92. Haha. It's trademarked :P so not applicable!
  • Don't you mean "we don't care?"
  • Most of us do care about the o/s surface phone will run on at release. I trust that clarifies :).
  • Win10Mo skinned android.  Solve ALL problems.
  • That just creates new problems, such as it runs Android, so how do i resolve the issue of it not being compatable with any of my UWP apps? Which is 100% a deal breaker   Whereas, if it runs Win10 on Arm, i can just install bluestacks if i need any Android Apps is currently dont have.
  • This is my favorite comment that keeps popping up. Using an emulator to run an emulator to run android apps. Such win.
  • WP skinned Android looks freaking atrocious. It's like cooking Pizza in a microwave instead of the oven.
  • No, Windows is secure..... That's the selling point. Do what you suggest, and it will be over. Just no.
  • You're funny. Leave the quirks of Windows with Windows and the quirks of Android with Android. Things are better that way.
  • Lol. Nicely put.
  • I don't see it.  A forked version of Android, lacking the Google Play store and services would be DOA.  A skinned version of Android with the Google Play store and services wouldn't do anything for Microsoft in the mobile space.  
  • Android
  • Is boring? Yes, I agree. You're a good man. Thanks.
  • I know, but seriously there no way around for WM. As much as I hate to admit it WM is in coma for months (can't say is dead because I will get killed by some fanatics)
  • No, I agree. It is in a coma. Coma is the best way to put it.. It's not dead, rather It's asleep, and nobody knows if it's gonna wakeup... But, we're all standing by It's bedside waiting, and praying.. Lol.😂😂😂😂😂
  • Hibernation is more like it.
  • No, it's in a coma... Fans would like to think it's in hibernation, but hibernation is sugar coating the situation.. WinMo was knocked the **** out by iDroid, so the way I explained above fits just right for being in a coma.
  • Irrelevant is a better word. Even MS doesn't care about it.
  • 😒 Really, dude....
  • No more buggy, crashy android in my life.  I have had enough.
  • We are talking about WM (Windows Mobile) not WP, WM is buggy and crashy unlike WP was so perfect (gold times)
  • We have WM 5 phones and none of them are 'buggy' or 'crashy'.
  • Windows Mobile 10
  • One OS to rule them all, one OS to find them, One OS to bring them all and in the darkness bind them...windows, of course. Holographic preferably ;)
  • Surface Phone, Surface Phone. What is a Surface Phone? In other words, I don't believe there will be a Surface Phone.
  • If anything logic should tell you to remain neutral with your opinion... Unless you can name supporting evidence there will not be one.
  • What is neutral thinking there will be a Surface Phone? There is no trace of evidence there will be a Surface Phone. Only wishful thinking. I also hope there will be a Surface Phone but I don't think it will come....
  • Neutral thinking is not saying there definitely will, or will not, be a Surface Phone... Nobody knows....
    And, there are traces of evidence, whether you see it, or not. More evidence that some type of mobile device from MS is coming, than not.
  • It's only a phone on the Surface. Underneath it's a PC.
  • Windows Phone 8.1. Da best.
  • Agree. It literally was the best mobile version... No arguing about that. 10 had potential, but MS decided to induce a coma.. MS has something up It's sleeve, though... Just the pain of waiting, and not knowing what it is sucks monkey ball sacks.
  • Is that a Surface Phone in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?
  • 😂😂😂
  • Not really.
  • Great reply before the question.
  • Windows Phone 8.1. Da best: Not really 😞
  • What do you think is the best??
  • as long as microsoft take 2 years to give old apps like skype their features and settings they used to have, as long as microsoft continue to not release a phone and developers keep leaving, as long as microsoft continues to not even support their own apps on their own phone like gestures mobile, whats the point of them ever releasing a surface phone. Hell wirelesspay isn't even working out of the box in my local shops. I think its time to face the truth, microsoft isn't gona win over a market even if the surface phone was fantastic. It still wont have here maps, google app, paypal, Santander banking app, wireless pay, gestures beta, the list keeps going on and on, it grows with every passing month. it doesn't mater how good the phone or os is if they cant meet the basic software requirements of todays consumers and microsoft certainly has proved they cant.  i love windows mobile but enough is enough.
  • Call it Surface Pocket, bringing back the Pocket PC days, and have it run full W10. Get rid of the stigma and expectations that come with calling it a phone.
  • Can't call it pocket, then the expectation is that it will fit in your pocket.
  • No we expect it to be the "biggest thing" but it will still fit in your pocket.
  • Name should either be "Surface" or "Surface Note". We know that significant resources have be moved off of Windows 10 mobile, proof of that is that almost nothing of any significance has changed in W10M in a year. My feeling about it is that there is a early version of Windows 10 somewhere in Redmond that will display a mobile interface on the 5"-6" display then unfold into a squarish tablet that will display the tablet interface. Once the display is extended either wirelessly or wired, then it will display the desktop interface. This form factor plays to the strength's of W10 and is the best example of W10 in action.
  • Is there any concrete proof or annoucement that indicates that a "Surface phone" exists ?
  • The only "proof" is the rumors that it keeps getting delayed. 2019 is the most recent rumor.
  • If it is 2019, It's way too late to the party and will wither and die like all it's predecessors.
  • It was too late two years ago. No one cares about the surface phone except the few people on forums like this. The ship sailed a long time ago.
  • Ignorance
  • Pancakes.
  • Only if it runs full Windows 10 can or should you call it a "Surface" if it's running Windows 10 Mobile it's just a "pig wearing lipstick" and should be called a Lumia. I don't mean to say anything bad about Microsoft or pigs that may or may not be wearing lipstick. I love Lumia's and a pig in lipstick is just a pig in lipstick. To each his/her own.
  • Dual boot Windows 10 mobile and Windows 10 pc.
  • Yes,yes Alex!
  • Why would you need that with C-Shell? If it is running Windows in any form, Microsoft has failed and if it has to duel boot then they really failed.
  • I used Windows Phone/Mobile a long time. But since its very limited choice with new hardware now I went to Android. And it also got the Microsoft apps I am using. I suspect if it ever will be a Surface Phone it will run Windows 10 on Arm. I am not sure if the current Windows 10 Mobile devices will be possible to upgrade to it? My bet it will be the same situation like it was between Windows Phone 7 to 8. But time will tell if it will be a Surface Phone. I think possible in the end of 2017 or early 2018.
  • Surface phone should support fingerprint sensor and I would like one plus 3t with windows os .
  • Truly run out of things to talk about if you're speculating on what a phone that might be released in two years might run for an operating system. Seriously. What OS should the surface phone run? Ridiculousness.
  • Yet here you are talking about it
  • Cricket selling used Lumia 650s for 99 cents. The future of Windows Mobile?
  • hi can any one tell me which software they use for podcats ?