Microsoft's "Surface Phone" may identify as a phone after all

There is somewhat of a debate raging amongst fans of Microsoft’s increasingly less mythical Surface Phone – will it work as a phone or not?

Given Microsoft’s lack of success in that segment, a large portion of our readers would be all too happy to distance themselves from the phone element of the device, hoping it is simply a tablet with an adaptable form factor running full Windows 10, possibly with a new shell adapted to pen-based operation (aka Courier v2.)

Another segment of our readers would not consider touching the device if it’s not a full replacement for their smartphone, with a full dialer and able to run all of Microsoft’s smartphone apps (and many Android ones to boot also.)

A recent find by the famous WalkingCat may suggest the second is winning out. He found a collection of apps labelled windows-8828080 in the Windows Store.

https://twitter.com/h0x0d/status/941817827803070465

Notable 8828080 (which happens to be part of Microsoft’s phone number) is according to WalkingCat,  also found on numerous occasions in Windows 10 with connections to Project Andromeda, Microsoft’s Adaptable shell for Windows 10.

Some of those applications in the collection are not UWP apps and are for phone-only, suggesting that when the Surface Phone does arrive, it will be able to run phone-only applications, which of course makes sense if the device is designed for day to day use as a phone when closed, to only reveal its magic tablet tricks when opened up.

I personally feel a foldable mini-Surface tablet would do better to disassociate itself from Windows Phone. Which camp do you fall in? Let us know below.

Via thewincentral