14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft's plans for its mobile division are hardly known by its employees, which is why the latest rumors on various smartphones that should make their debut this year didn't prove quite accurate.
The Redmond-based company changed its marketing strategy last summer, but a clear path for mobile hasn't been established yet.
That's one of the reasons we hear about Windows Phones being canceled and then put on track for release once again.
It's happening with Lumia 850, which was canned a few times in the past, and now it looks like it's going to be announced very soon.
A picture of a display protector “designed for Microsoft Lumia 850 ONLY” has been recently spotted on Amazon Italy, WMPU reports. The accessory cost less than €8, but it comes along with a new press render of the unannounced Lumia 850 smartphone.
Lumia 850 and Lumia 650 XL might be the same device
It would make sense to assume that the smartphone will soon be made official by Microsoft, but rumor has it that Lumia 850 might be released on the market as Lumia 650 XL.
If the information is correct, then the Lumia 650 XL will come with a slightly larger display than the standard model. Aside from that, there might not be any differences between the two smartphones.
That's quite unfortunate since many Windows Phone fans were expecting Microsoft to bring the Lumia 830 successor on the market in the first half of the year.
It appears that Microsoft changed its plans again and decided to go with a much lower technical configuration for its next Windows 10 Mobile devices.
The rumored Lumia 650 XL is said to pack a 5.4-inch display that supports HD (720p) resolution. It will come with a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 212 processor and a front-facing LED flash.
Microsoft's standard Lumia 650 smartphone is expected to be unveiled on February 15, possibly along with the XL version.