It probably wouldn’t have saved the Windows Phone platform (which we now know is all but gone) but it would’ve put Microsoft ahead of the curve—at least in terms of design. Windows Central got their hands on a Windows Phone prototype device with a codename “Vela.” It was supposed to be the early iteration of the uninspired Lumia 435. It shows the now ubiquitous edge-to-edge display and has predated Xiaomi’s Mi Mix, which is considered the catalyst for the current bezel-less trend. What’s more remarkable was Microsoft was planning to sell this for under US$200.
The phone was going to be modest mid-range device with a 5-inch HD display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 5-megapixel rear camera. Of course, its main selling point is still that screen. We can’t say why Microsoft decided to axe the design and we’ll never know at this point. But it does demonstrate what the company has been getting wrong in the mobile hardware space and how they let a good opportunity slip them by to separate themselves from the competition.