Windows phone front-panel shows up

We just found out yesterday that Microsoft was dropping the Nokia name and Windows Phone logo  from its branding, but today comes the bigger rumor: a new Microsoft phone is already underway. A couple of leaked photos have surfaced online showing an alleged front panel of a new Microsoft Phone the company will be announcing.

As you can tell from the photo, the handset will probably be a phablet, which would be a good choice on the part of Microsoft because a Windows Phone with a 5.5 or 6 inch display would rival the Huawei Ascend Mate 7, Galaxy Note 4 and Note Edge and the iPhone 6 Plus. The thin bezels we can see on the future Windows Phone rival those of the Sharp Aquos Crystal. We can also see a camera window and maybe a flash at the top of the phone, suggesting that we might be looking at a Windows Selfie-Phone.

The new Windows Phone has Microsoft written on top of it, but we don’t have actual proof that these photos are real, so take this information with a grain of salt, since all of it remains at rumor stage until confirmed by Microsoft. The panel in the photo suggests that we might be looking at a Lumia 930/Lumia Icon successor and the first Microsoft Lumia device.

If the new Windows Phone will turn out to be a Lumia Icon successor, we should expect to see at least a Snapdragon 805, 20.7 MP rear shooter, 8 MP front camera, at least a 5.5 or 6 inch QHD display and a few extras probably. The Lumia Icon was launched in April, so it might be alittle soon to expect a new release, but since Microsoft seems to be rushing things at the moment, it’s not impossible. If the new Microsoft branded phone will sport these specs or even better, it will certainly act as a serious rival to Apple’s iPhone 6 Plus phablet, Galaxy S5, HTC One M8 Windows or to the Moto X.

Microsoft is at a turning-point, in my opinion, and a new flagship from the company in the form of a new Windows phone would either make or break Microsoft’s endeavor to get in on the smartphone market. With the upcoming Windows 9 launch and the successful Nokia take-over, Microsoft is heading the right way, but it remains to be seen whether the new Windows phone, if it’s even real, will go beyond what Apple, HTC, Samsung or Motorola have put out so far.

What do you think about Microsoft dropping the Nokia name and the Windows Phone logo from their branding? Will you miss seeing Nokia phones everywhere? Do you think the front panel in the picture actually belongs to the new Windows phone from Microsoft or does it look like something else to you?