New hope for Surface Phone as Microsoft adds back Phone-related APIs to Windows 10 Redstone 5

Around a year ago Microsoft removed phone-related APIs from the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, dashing hope of a Windows 10-powered smartphone coming anytime soon.

During this period Microsoft’s Always-Connected PC interface continued to power ahead, bringing Windows 10-powered PCs powered by ARM64 Snapdragon processors and LTE modems. These laptops could not, however, make phone calls, except over VOIP, but it seems in the next major version of Windows 10 Redstone 5 this may change.

A diff of the API changes in Windows 10 17650 (recently released) vs. 17643 WinRT API shows all of the APIs have returned, allowing Windows 10 users presumably, with the right dialer software, to block calls, make video calls, listen to voicemail and all the usual features one normally associates with a phone-based OS.

Of course, this does not make sense with a laptop, or even a tablet like the HP Envy x2, but rumours of a foldable Windows 10-powered phone refuse to die, and with the industry itself racing to deliver this, Microsoft may still be in contention after all.

See the API diff by H0X0D here.

Via Reddit.com