Last updated April 12, 2019
Some people are already asking themselves the question, “Should I sell my phone when Microsoft releases its own version of a Windows Phone?” The answer may well be yes, but at this point, it looks like the release date for a Microsoft-branded handset running Windows Phone will be pushed back at least to 2013. According to a number of different insiders in the know, Microsoft has no plans for such a release at any time during the current calendar year.
Indeed, the company continues to issue vague statements that praise its partners without definitely ruling out the prospect of going into direct competition with them. One such statement that recently came through a company spokesperson read: “We are big believers in our hardware partners and together we’re focused on bringing Windows Phone 8 to market with them.”
Microsoft, of course, has already dipped a toe in the hardware market by announcing the released of the Surface tablet computer. This has given rise to cell phone rumors that a phone called the Surface phone may be on the way. The surface project has been widely regarded as a test for a number of different options Microsoft may decide to exercise in the coming year.
Whatever happens with Microsoft and a potential Surface phone in the future, however, it remains true that when getting a new cell phone, the worst possible thing to do with your old one is to bin it. Not only does this deprive the owner of useful money that could come from selling it, it also means doing harm to the local environment.