A patent filing has revealed that Microsoft’s rumoured Surface Phone will likely include a fingerprint scanner, which would make it the first Windows smartphone to do so.
According to the filing, the sensor will have a transparent cover, allowing it to be placed inside thinner devices than previously possible. While it might be almost exciting for Windows Phone fans (an ever decreasing collective), it’s a feature that’s playing catch up against any of its major competitors.
That’s, of course, presuming that Microsoft brings a Surface Phone to market, but if it does, a fingerprint sensor is pretty much a necessity at this point.
Despite Microsoft’s underwhelming perfomance with Windows Phone, launching a Surface Phone that delivers the same sort of promise the Surface Book delivers would be a smart move, and at least give Windows 10 a shot at clawing back some market share from Android and iOS.
In reality, if based solely on mobile installs and not the whole Windows 10 user base, Microsoft’s unlikely to make much of a dent in Google and Apple’s mobile marketshare but it does have a platform geared to work across different device types, which not all its competitors can say.
Related: Windows 10 vs Windows 7 – Should you upgrade?
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Would you ever consider switching back to a Windows smartphone? Let us know in the comments below!
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
