The Microsoft "Raven" Surface Phone: A Canceled 2014 Windows Phone Prototype Explained
The Microsoft 'Raven' was a Surface branded Windows Phone prototype from 2013 2014, canceled after Microsoft acquired Nokia's devices business. Microsoft shelved 'Raven' to avoid internal competition with the newly acquired Lumia product line, choosing to focus on Nokia's hardware and supply chain instead.
Published byEdited with DeepSeek-V4-FlashImages generated with GPT Image 1.5
The Microsoft 'Raven' was a Surface branded Windows Phone prototype from 2013 2014, canceled after Microsoft acquired Nokia's devices business.
Microsoft shelved 'Raven' to avoid internal competition with the newly acquired Lumia product line, choosing to focus on Nokia's hardware and supply chain instead.
'Raven' was a traditional single screen Windows Phone, fundamentally different from the later Surface Duo, which was a dual screen Android device launched in 2020.
What was the canceled 2013-2014 Microsoft Surface Phone prototype codenamed "Raven," what did its hardware and software look like, why did MAn AI-generated rendering of the concept behind the canceled Microsoft Surface Phone prototype, codenamed "Raven."
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Create a landscape editorial hero image for this Studio Global article: What was the canceled 2013-2014 Microsoft Surface Phone prototype codenamed "Raven," what did its hardware and software look like, why did M. Article summary: The Microsoft "Raven" was a pre-Nokia-acquisition Surface-branded Windows Phone prototype from 2013–2014 that never made it to market. Here is what is known and how it compares to the Surface Duo.. Topic tags: general, general web, user generated. Style: premium digital editorial illustration, source-backed research mood, clean composition, high detail, modern web publication hero. Use reference image context only for broad subject, composition, and topical grounding; do not copy the exact image. Avoid: logos, brand marks, copyrighted characters, real person likenesses, fake screenshots, UI text, readable text, watermarks, charts with fake numbers, clickbait th
openai.com
In the years before Microsoft officially entered the phone hardware market with its Surface brand, the company was reportedly developing an in-house handset that never saw the light of day. Codename "Raven," this 2013-2014 Windows Phone prototype has resurfaced in recent photographs, offering a glimpse at what could have been the first Surface Phone.
What Was the "Raven"?
"Raven" (a codename reported by Windows Central but not officially confirmed by Microsoft) was an internally developed Windows Phone handset created by Microsoft before the company completed its acquisition of Nokia's devices and services business in April 2014 . At the time, industry rumors suggested this device was intended to launch as a "Surface Phone" alongside the Surface Pro line in 2014, carrying the Surface branding to extend the company's successful PC and tablet design language into the mobile space .
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What is the short answer to "The Microsoft "Raven" Surface Phone: A Canceled 2014 Windows Phone Prototype Explained"?
The Microsoft 'Raven' was a Surface branded Windows Phone prototype from 2013 2014, canceled after Microsoft acquired Nokia's devices business.
What are the key points to validate first?
The Microsoft 'Raven' was a Surface branded Windows Phone prototype from 2013 2014, canceled after Microsoft acquired Nokia's devices business. Microsoft shelved 'Raven' to avoid internal competition with the newly acquired Lumia product line, choosing to focus on Nokia's hardware and supply chain instead.
What should I do next in practice?
'Raven' was a traditional single screen Windows Phone, fundamentally different from the later Surface Duo, which was a dual screen Android device launched in 2020.
The Microsoft "Raven" Surface Phone: A Canceled 2014 Windows Phone Prototype Explained
The Microsoft 'Raven' was a Surface branded Windows Phone prototype from 2013 2014, canceled after Microsoft acquired Nokia's devices business. Microsoft shelved 'Raven' to avoid internal competition with the newly acquired Lumia product line, choosing to focus on Nokia's hardware and supply chain instead.
Published byEdited with DeepSeek-V4-FlashImages generated with GPT Image 1.5
The Microsoft 'Raven' was a Surface branded Windows Phone prototype from 2013 2014, canceled after Microsoft acquired Nokia's devices business.
Microsoft shelved 'Raven' to avoid internal competition with the newly acquired Lumia product line, choosing to focus on Nokia's hardware and supply chain instead.
'Raven' was a traditional single screen Windows Phone, fundamentally different from the later Surface Duo, which was a dual screen Android device launched in 2020.
What was the canceled 2013-2014 Microsoft Surface Phone prototype codenamed "Raven," what did its hardware and software look like, why did MAn AI-generated rendering of the concept behind the canceled Microsoft Surface Phone prototype, codenamed "Raven."
AI Prompt
Create a landscape editorial hero image for this Studio Global article: What was the canceled 2013-2014 Microsoft Surface Phone prototype codenamed "Raven," what did its hardware and software look like, why did M. Article summary: The Microsoft "Raven" was a pre-Nokia-acquisition Surface-branded Windows Phone prototype from 2013–2014 that never made it to market. Here is what is known and how it compares to the Surface Duo.. Topic tags: general, general web, user generated. Style: premium digital editorial illustration, source-backed research mood, clean composition, high detail, modern web publication hero. Use reference image context only for broad subject, composition, and topical grounding; do not copy the exact image. Avoid: logos, brand marks, copyrighted characters, real person likenesses, fake screenshots, UI text, readable text, watermarks, charts with fake numbers, clickbait th
openai.com
In the years before Microsoft officially entered the phone hardware market with its Surface brand, the company was reportedly developing an in-house handset that never saw the light of day. Codename "Raven," this 2013-2014 Windows Phone prototype has resurfaced in recent photographs, offering a glimpse at what could have been the first Surface Phone.
What Was the "Raven"?
"Raven" (a codename reported by Windows Central but not officially confirmed by Microsoft) was an internally developed Windows Phone handset created by Microsoft before the company completed its acquisition of Nokia's devices and services business in April 2014 . At the time, industry rumors suggested this device was intended to launch as a "Surface Phone" alongside the Surface Pro line in 2014, carrying the Surface branding to extend the company's successful PC and tablet design language into the mobile space .
Studio Global AI
Continue your research
This page includes a source-backed answer you can continue inside Studio Global.
What is the short answer to "The Microsoft "Raven" Surface Phone: A Canceled 2014 Windows Phone Prototype Explained"?
The Microsoft 'Raven' was a Surface branded Windows Phone prototype from 2013 2014, canceled after Microsoft acquired Nokia's devices business.
What are the key points to validate first?
The Microsoft 'Raven' was a Surface branded Windows Phone prototype from 2013 2014, canceled after Microsoft acquired Nokia's devices business. Microsoft shelved 'Raven' to avoid internal competition with the newly acquired Lumia product line, choosing to focus on Nokia's hardware and supply chain instead.
What should I do next in practice?
'Raven' was a traditional single screen Windows Phone, fundamentally different from the later Surface Duo, which was a dual screen Android device launched in 2020.
Based on recently surfaced photographs and reporting from sources like Windows Central, the "Raven" prototype reveals a compact device with several defining characteristics:
Chassis: A compact handset featuring a silver metal perimeter or band, with a Microsoft logo prominently displayed on the back. The overall design language closely resembled the Surface 2 tablet, which was released in the same timeframe .
Display: A 720p screen, though the exact size and panel type (e.g., LCD vs. AMOLED) have not been documented on the prototype .
Processor: An unknown Qualcomm chip, with the specific model not identified on the seen prototype .
Ports and Buttons: The prototype includes an independent volume rocker, a dedicated camera shutter key, a power button on the top edge, and both a Micro USB port and a 3.5mm headphone jack on the bottom edge. It also features physical navigation buttons (back, Windows, search) below the display, a staple of that era's Windows Phone design .
Software: The device ran an early, internal preview build of Windows Phone 8.1, reportedly from approximately September 2013 .
Crucially, many detailed specifications remain unknown. Only a handful of these prototype units are believed to exist, and key hardware details like RAM, storage capacity, camera resolution, and battery size are not documented in public sources.
Why Was "Raven" Canceled?
The primary reason for the cancellation of the "Raven" project was Microsoft's $7.2 billion acquisition of Nokia's devices and services business, which closed on April 25, 2014 . Once the deal was finalized, Microsoft owned Nokia's entire Lumia product line, its design teams, manufacturing capabilities, and established supply chain. Developing and launching a competing in-house Surface Phone alongside the newly acquired and already successful Lumia portfolio would have created significant internal conflict, redundant research and development costs, and confusion in the market. Microsoft ultimately committed to the Lumia brand as its primary vehicle for Windows Phone, and the "Raven" project was consequently shelved before it ever reached the engineering validation stage for production .
Comparison to the Surface Duo
The "Raven" project is often loosely linked in the public imagination with the later Surface Duo, but the two devices represent fundamentally different visions and eras for Microsoft's mobile ambitions.
Capacitive navigation keys, dedicated camera button
No capacitive keys; volume and power only
Status
Canceled prototype
Shipped product, later discontinued
The "Raven" was a traditional monochrome slab running Microsoft's own mobile operating system, conceived before the company owned a major phone hardware division. In contrast, the Surface Duo was a dual-screen Android device built years after Microsoft had effectively exited the Windows Phone market, aimed squarely at productivity with Microsoft 365 integration at its core. While both projects carried the Surface branding vision, they shared almost no engineering, software stack, or design DNA .
androidauthority.com
Microsoft almost made a Surface phone we actually wanted
Based on recently surfaced photographs and reporting from sources like Windows Central, the "Raven" prototype reveals a compact device with several defining characteristics:
Chassis: A compact handset featuring a silver metal perimeter or band, with a Microsoft logo prominently displayed on the back. The overall design language closely resembled the Surface 2 tablet, which was released in the same timeframe .
Display: A 720p screen, though the exact size and panel type (e.g., LCD vs. AMOLED) have not been documented on the prototype .
Processor: An unknown Qualcomm chip, with the specific model not identified on the seen prototype .
Ports and Buttons: The prototype includes an independent volume rocker, a dedicated camera shutter key, a power button on the top edge, and both a Micro USB port and a 3.5mm headphone jack on the bottom edge. It also features physical navigation buttons (back, Windows, search) below the display, a staple of that era's Windows Phone design .
Software: The device ran an early, internal preview build of Windows Phone 8.1, reportedly from approximately September 2013 .
Crucially, many detailed specifications remain unknown. Only a handful of these prototype units are believed to exist, and key hardware details like RAM, storage capacity, camera resolution, and battery size are not documented in public sources.
Why Was "Raven" Canceled?
The primary reason for the cancellation of the "Raven" project was Microsoft's $7.2 billion acquisition of Nokia's devices and services business, which closed on April 25, 2014 . Once the deal was finalized, Microsoft owned Nokia's entire Lumia product line, its design teams, manufacturing capabilities, and established supply chain. Developing and launching a competing in-house Surface Phone alongside the newly acquired and already successful Lumia portfolio would have created significant internal conflict, redundant research and development costs, and confusion in the market. Microsoft ultimately committed to the Lumia brand as its primary vehicle for Windows Phone, and the "Raven" project was consequently shelved before it ever reached the engineering validation stage for production .
Comparison to the Surface Duo
The "Raven" project is often loosely linked in the public imagination with the later Surface Duo, but the two devices represent fundamentally different visions and eras for Microsoft's mobile ambitions.
Capacitive navigation keys, dedicated camera button
No capacitive keys; volume and power only
Status
Canceled prototype
Shipped product, later discontinued
The "Raven" was a traditional monochrome slab running Microsoft's own mobile operating system, conceived before the company owned a major phone hardware division. In contrast, the Surface Duo was a dual-screen Android device built years after Microsoft had effectively exited the Windows Phone market, aimed squarely at productivity with Microsoft 365 integration at its core. While both projects carried the Surface branding vision, they shared almost no engineering, software stack, or design DNA .
androidauthority.com
Microsoft almost made a Surface phone we actually wanted
