The Surface Phone is a much-awaited flagship smartphone from Microsoft, which is expected to pave the way for the Windows Phone OS to finally beat Android and iOS. However, there are talks that its release is being delayed yet again. Is Microsoft still planning on ever releasing it?

The Surface Phone has been in the rumor mill for years now, yet the mobile community has not received any confirmation from Microsoft. Many believed that it would be released this year. An alleged leak a month ago revealed that a Windows Phone is coming in 2017, but it may not be the Surface Phone.

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Considering this, hopes for the Surface Phone's 2017 launch have been low, leading many to question the tech giant's plans for the smartphone.

It seems that there's still hope for a Surface-branded smartphone. A series of patents discovered by eagle-eyed fans describe a foldable device that acts as a tablet and a phone, University Herald reported. It can be unfolded to use a bigger screen or folded and used as a smartphone.

This is suspected to be a Surface device since it boasts of dual functions like the other Surface gadgets.

Although an exact release date cannot be pinpointed, reports suggest a fall launch for the Surface Phone, which will coincide with the release of the other flagships such as the iPhone 8 and the Galaxy Note 8. If true, Microsoft would release more information about the device in the months leading up to September, the first month of this year's fall season.