Microsoft Actively Working on Android-Powered Smartphones: Report

Microsoft, following the discontinuation of its Lumia lineup, has not announced details of any other smartphone yet. While there have been several rumours about the tech giant rethinking its Surface Phone strategy, the company is yet to provide any official information on it. However, according to a new report, the Redmond-based Microsoft could be planning to launch a new Android-powered smartphone soon. Since Microsoft is already winding up its Windows Phone support, the new lineup is clearly not going to be in the Lumia series. However, there is no concrete information on whether they will be launched in the Surface lineup, as a Surface Phone is said to be in development for a long time, but there have no concrete leaks around it in the recent past.

As per a report in Windows Latest, a Microsoft representative has claimed that the company's engineering team is actively working on "a new line of phones". The screenshots of a text conversation suggest that the new lineup will not be a part of the Lumia series, but there is no clarity on whether the Surface team is behind the development. The key information tipped in the report is that the new edition of Android-powered phones will be sold on Microsoft Store.

In the screenshots shared in the report, the Microsoft representative is seen claiming that the engineers of Windows Phone are now preparing to launch a new model. However, the person does not seem to confirm too many details about the type of models that Microsoft is planning to release, but he does say that the phones will not be running on Windows 10. The mysterious phone is said to be arriving in a new line of Microsoft-branded smartphones running on Android OS.

While the information about Microsoft releasing an Android smartphone is not surprising, the rumours should be taken with a pinch of salt as support as there has been no announcement regarding the upcoming product launches.

To recall, earlier reports had indicated that Microsoft has new Surface projects under its shelf codenamed Libra. Also, details of Microsoft's secret Surface device codenamed Andromeda that it reportedly plans to release in 2018, has also been spotted.