It is impossible to say when the Microsoft Surface Phone will be released. This is because Microsoft is in no hurry to come up with the Surface Phone as it believes a lot needs to be done before such as revolutionary device is brought into the hands of the consumer. Therefore, it is unlikely that Microsoft will release a Surface Phone in 2017. It can even be delayed further. The device will not be a typical high-end phone crammed with top hardware. Instead, it will distinctly define a category.

According to Windows Central, Microsoft may position the Surface Phone as an ultra-mobile PC that will also be a smartphone. The telephony-enabled pocket PC will require apps and developer support and full ecosystem support. Else, the revolutionary, game-changing impact of the Surface Phone will be lost.

"By 2020, 20 percent of companies will no longer invest in apps. That's good and bad news for Microsoft. The good news is that it's an affirmation that a shift is underway in Redmond's favor. The bad news is that three years from now 80 percent of companies will still be invested in apps," says Gartner.

Even though smartphone users generally use only six apps 91 percent of the time, the smartphone industry is app-focused. This is why Microsoft needs developers to change the game but has a hard time finding them. Redmond believes in an AI and Bot model but that will take lots of time to be implemented. All this confirms that there won't be a Surface Phone in 2017. Lack of developer support will result in limited appeal in the Surface Phone. Redmond wants to bring full power of personal computing and telephony into its device.

It looks at these as "experiences" that will happen on Windows 10 devices, including the Microsoft Surface Phone. Stay tuned on Mobile & Apps for more updates on Surface Phone.