More powerful Windows Phone devices set to arrive in 2015

Mar 2, 2015 10:24 GMT  ·  By
Windows Phone won't run on any new high-end devices until Windows 10 becomes available
   Windows Phone won't run on any new high-end devices until Windows 10 becomes available

Microsoft has unveiled the new Lumia 640 and Lumia 640 XL at the MWC 2015 in Barcelona, but the models are part of the mid-range business, so the flagship Windows Phone lineup is yet to get any new and worthy addition.

Although customers have been waiting for a new flagship running Windows Phone for many months, and some hoped to see a new high-end device going live at MWC, the Redmond-based tech giant says that it's not yet ready to present such a phone and more information would only come at a later time.

Previously, reports coming from people familiar with the matter indicated that Windows Phone flagships were expected to launch in the fall of 2015, most likely after the new Windows 10 gets the go-ahead.

But Stephen Elop, head of the Devices and Services unit at Microsoft, has confirmed today that new Windows Phone flagships are set to arrive “later this year,” confirming that, while these devices aren't yet ready, they're definitely part of the company's plans and will arrive in a few months.

“We’ve always been committed to bringing the latest features to our Lumia phones, whether it’s the most advanced or the most affordable. With Windows 10, we will continue bringing the latest features to Lumia, but we also going to deliver a new family of devices, including devices at the flagship level, later this year,” he said.

How late is too late?

Right now, rumors swirling around the web point to two different release dates for new Windows Phone flagships.

First, there's one that says that Microsoft might unveil new high-end Windows Phone devices in mid-2015, just after Windows 10 reaches RTM, a key moment for the new OS that could take place in June.

Then, some people say that flagships won't be here before the fall of 2015, when Windows 10 actually gets the green light and everyone can upgrade their phones to the new OS.

Obviously, Microsoft isn't yet ready to confirm or deny any of these reports, as the company is still working on both the phone and desktop version of Windows 10, but there's no doubt that, just like its users, the company wants and needs these devices to become available as soon as possible.

And yet, with so many high-end phones going live at MWC 2015, it's fairly disappointing to see Microsoft relying on the same low-end and mid-range budget phones all the time.