Microsoft’s Canceled Surface Phone Could Have Looked Like This

Microsoft may have left behind more than Lumia devices before abandoning Windows Phone. New photos now show a mysterious prototype from the same era. The device reportedly dates from 2013 or 2014 and could be linked to Microsoft’s rumored Surface Phone plans. Windows Central, which obtained the images from Telegram/Discord, reports that the prototype may have been internally known as Raven.

A Surface-style phone that never made it out

The prototype reportedly runs an early Windows Phone 8.1 build from September 2013. It also features a 720p display, an unknown Qualcomm processor, and Microsoft’s logo on the rear. Its silver metal frame is especially interesting. The finish reportedly resembles the Surface 2 released around the same period.

The phone also has dedicated Windows navigation buttons below the display. Other reported hardware includes separate volume controls, a camera button, and a top-mounted power button.

There is also a micro-USB port, headphone jack, and SIM slot. Those details make it look like a genuine working prototype rather than a simple design mockup.

Microsoft’s Surface Phone plans were complicated

Microsoft was reportedly developing its own Windows Phone before acquiring Nokia in 2014. The company was rumored to launch that device under the Surface brand. Development of this particular prototype may have stopped after Microsoft’s Nokia acquisition. It could have been one of several designs being tested internally at the time.

Another possibility is Microsoft’s rumored “Skype Phone” concept. That device reportedly focused on mobile data while using Skype for calls and messaging. There is no confirmation connecting Raven to that project. Microsoft also never publicly identified the prototype as a Surface Phone.

The Surface-branded phone eventually landed years later through the Surface Duo. That device began development in 2016 and launched in 2020.

For Windows Phone fans, these images offer another glimpse at Microsoft’s abandoned mobile ambitions.