New Delhi: For weeks, Microsoft is known to be working on a host of new devices that would run its latest Windows 10 OS. Flagship Lumia smartphones, Surface Pro tablet, a surprise Surface laptop, and a second rendition of its wearable band are some of the anticipated announcements that will finally put to rest the buzzing rumour mill.
The Microsoft event kick starts at 7.30PM IST and before the software giant takes to stage to announce this year’s anticipated new Windows 10 products, we bring to you all that could be announced today.
New Lumia phones: Lumia 950, 950 XL, 550
Running the latest Windows 10 mobile OS with the much-discussed Continnum feature, the new Lumia flagship smartphones- the 5.2-inch Lumia 950 and the larger 5.7-inch Lumia 950 XL- will feature 20 MP cameras and offer memory expansion up to 2 TB over the base 32 GB internal storage. Both the devices are speculated to come packed with 3 GB of RAM and include the new USB Type-C reversible port for charging and output.
The smaller Lumia 950 will run Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 hexa-core chipset and draw its juice from a 3000mAh battery with USB Type-C while the XL variant will run an 810 octa-core chipset and feature a 3300mAh battery. There is also a possibility that the larger variant will come with a pen support.
Recently, the company accidentally listed the two smartphones on its UK online store, establishing the truth about the new smartphones.
A recent leak also hinted at a new, possibly affordable, smartphone in-the-offering. The Lumia 550 is likely to be a replacement to Microsoft’s popular Lumia 5xx series devices and feature a 5-inch HD display. Powered by a 1GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset and 1GB RAM, the Lumia 550 will feature a 5 megapixel rear camera with LED flash and a 2 megapixel front snapper. It will further come with 8GB of internal storage with microSD card support of up to 128 GB. It will come powered by a 1905mAh battery.
Surface Pro 4
Successor to the Surface Pro 3, the fourth-gen laptop-tablet convertible is speculated to feature a larger display with leaner bezels and boosted resolution of up to 4K or even 5K. The Surface Pro 4 is likely to be thinner and lighter than its predecessors.
The hybrid device is further expected to come with a better stylus that will offer improved accuracy and touch sensitivity. This will put the new Microsoft stylus in direct competition with Apple’s recently released Pencil for the iPad Pro.
It is also expected that the Surface Pro 4 could come with a fingerprint sensor on the Surface Type Cover. It is unlikely that the device will be shipped with a camera that supports Windows Hello camera that allows users to log into a Windows device just through a face scan.
New Surface laptop
Microsoft is expected to further unveil another Surface Pro 3-like larger device that will have features which are more laptop-like. It is unclear what it will be named, however, it is expected to carry a large 14-inch display with the Windows Hello camera.
Running the Windows 10, this device is likely to come with powerful specifications including 16 GB of RAM and 1 TB of storage. As this would be a new size, older accessories won’t work and Microsoft could introduce specialized dock and Type Covers with improved trackpads.
Microsoft Band 2
Leaked images of the purported device, a second-generation version of the original Microsoft Band, hinted at an enhanced look and new design.
The Microsoft Band 2, codenamed ‘Envoy’, is expected to come with a curved shape and the front panel in metallic finish with physical buttons on the side, making it more ergonomic than its predecessor. The smart band is further said to include new sensors that measure height, indicating an in-built altimeter.
Windows 10 and Xbox One
Along with a word or two about the next update to Windows 10 and its larger rollout to older devices, Microsoft could also use this opportunity to detail the moving of Xbox One onto the new Windows 10 platform. Recently, the Xbox Beta app for Windows 10 was released, allowing Xbox lovers an opportunity to provide early inputs on features and enhancements coming to the gaming app on the latest software.
In all likelihood, we could as well be able to hear more about the upgrades to the popular gaming console. Some speculations have also hinted at an improved hardware that could be thinner and lighter in profile.
VR Kit
Microsoft’s recent hackathon invitation for developers to build VR apps for its devices and its well-known project to take on the Google Cardboard, the company’s VR Kit could finally see the light of the day at today’s event. It is expected that the company could talk about bringing VR to Lumia phones. The camera cutout in the kit further hints at scope for augmented reality to be part of it.
The VR Kit could also be staged as a primer to the company’s much-discussed HoloLens, thereby bringing a hybrid experience of both real and digital without additional cost.
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