Microsoft 'testing' its own smartphone?

Who knows. They managed to become quite strong in the gaming market, after all. But I don't think I'll be switching, I'm quite happy with Android.

If surface phone becomes a reality, and MS put the right kind of capital and research into its design and further improve their WP8 OS, I can see them taking off. But it depends on how solid their foundation is, google and apple are giants in the smartphone market at the moment.

Microsoft might want to slow down on the hardware development before they really alienate their partners.  Those partners will be necessary to drive up exposure of Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 in particular.

I seen windows 8 when it come out and i thought it would be absolute sh*t but after using it i see that what they show u on its trailer is just the start menu, u can go back to desktop view easily. i for one would not use it like a touch screen but it is nice to know that it is there if u like it.

give it a go, u wont hate on it after u try it

Not sure what all the hate over Win 8 is, I used it through a few of its different betas on my HTPC and Laptop and installed it on my primary PC as soon as the full version came out and have had pretty much no problems.  The only problems I have had were small changes to where things were.  For a really good guide on that I'll link you to Scott Hanselman's blog

http://www.hanselman.com/blog/Windows8ProductivityWhoMovedMyCheeseOhThereItIs.aspx

Well From What I learned is that Microsoft is Really Really good at making hardware  for example Zune HD (*yet zune did fail the hardware was top notch seriously find one thing wrong with the zune HD's hardware!) the MS Surface is the best looking and most durable tablet there is, The Xbox 360 slim (though the first version of the 360 was bad they made up for it with the slim), 360 controllers, and of course there little  Mouse/Keyboard hardware which are basically the best on the market ...So i have full confidence that MS will provide  Top notch hardware that would make Apple/Samsung/Google..Freak

ahahaha (sarcastic) 

Working with Asian component suppliers..............its more rather like they are using Asian people to do all the hard labor.............

well.................smartphone.............how smart can a smartphone get.....................it doesnt matter as long as it has the basic to work with its all good....................unless its those people who like to spend more to get just a little bit of it...........but it doesnt matter its how people think but consider that a phone is only a phone..................just as long as it has the basic....

At least when I buy a Microsoft phone I know there won't be another one coming out in 6 months.

i figured Windows8 was just a precursor to getting their own phone.

WOW we get to watch them FAIL again. 

Come on Microsoft kill Apple again!

Well...at least it is not another Apple phone.

the more the merrier, im sick of apple products and wont buy a ipad or iphone for many reasons, but prime amongst them is the gouging price and rushing of tech for incramental upgrades at astronomical prices, itunes is utterly cumbersome and convoluted... not to mention the vile business practices, recent of which is suing samsung for geometrical shape, trying to limit competition is a detriment to all consumers...and the ongoing use of suicidal labor, but thats a sin they share with most of the capitalistic manufacturers and corps in america

guess what os it will use? yes Windows 8 .,..... nooo thnx i'l stick with Samsung, HTC.

I couldn't see MS producing better hardware than Nokia (Lumia) or even Samsung (ATIV), buh then again they did surprise me with the surface . . .

No One Messes With Samsung (The Best Smartphone manufacturer) :D

Latest lumia 920 asks for the price of an iPhone 5, that's simply too much considered the fact that it doesn't have the popularity to compete with iPhone toe-to-toe

 Nokia should've known better what ???business ?partner ?they chose. I still don't understand why they are still so reluctant in releasing an Android Phone, but still have a lot of respect for them. I still have my first phone a Nokia 3310 that still works in perfect condition even after this many years.

 I hope things will work  fine for them, ?although I'm not such a huge fan of MS and W8.

One has to wonder at how exactly Nokia is reacting.....

they can try all they want they stll wont stop apple

I hope MS considers making three types of phones. One for gamers like the Xperia Play but with Xbox Live connectivity, one with a full qwerty like a BlackBerry Bold and one solid screen phone like iPhone and every other android phone. If they appeal to each of these consumers they'll sell a lot of phones.

What the market doesn't need is another solid screen phone like the iPhone and every other android phone.

Got to feel bad for Nokia if this turns out to be true.

I'm looking forward to Microsoft becoming competitive with mobile again. I really dislike the iPhone and my Android phone gets odd with computer errors sometimes. 3 is the magic number.

to enter the smartphone race against Apple, cause they will not catch the 1st (Samsung)

Why not, they tried (and failed miserably) to make a Video game console line?

I would love a Surface Phone

Yeah...I don't think I'd trade in an Android phone for one with the Metro UI. Never.

"This puts it in line with the iPhone 5 and Samsung's Galaxy S III." 

Yeah, and it also puts it in line with every other smartphone made as well. Nowadays every smartphone has a screen size between 4-5 inches. 

If WP8 had hardware equivalent to what Android offers (quad-core LTE, over-clocked dual-core LTE, 2GB's of RAM, better screen resolutions and more useful features.) I would seriously consider switching. The WP8 operating system is much more stable, smooth and more cohesive than Android is. It has alot less glitches and bugs. The app store will eventually come around. 120,000 apps is still nothing to sneeze at, plus MS monitors their app store better than Google with regard to malware. 

I have always had, and still HAVE, Samsung Galaxy S phones. And while Samsungs flagship line of phones come packed to the brim with powerful hardware and features, the phones are made like shit.  They are cheap garbage. I have owned the Galaxy S 1, 2 & 3 and have had numerous issues with each phone that required warranty service. The WP's have a much better quality about them. So I can't wait to see how WP8 evolves in the future, and just maybe I'll give it a shot.

What is the main point of getting a Windows 8,(or Windows 9,10,11)  phone over an Android or iOS phone?

I can only think that it's better for business use, as it would be compliant with MS Office. That would be of interest to me for a tablet, and I can see myself buying a Windows 8 tablet with which I'll use MS Office - so I can use the tablet for both business and personal use. Without the MS Office I'd have to consider a tablet a bit of a toy that i'll probably get bored of quickly.

But I'm not sure if using MS Office on a phone would be productive. I havent even bothered setting up email on my smartphone cos I just can't be hassled with it.

After owning a windows phone for 2 years, the 8x seems like a good phone but i really am thinking of getting a iphone or s3. No Apps and im not waiting any longer. 

I would totally buy a Windows 8 phone from MS. Well.... as long as it doesn't only come to AT&T.