The Redmond giant is known best for the Windows operating system but a large part of its revenue is generated by a hardware division that is currently expanding at full speed.
The Xbox consoles and the Surface series spearhead Microsoft’s hardware offer. Four Surface devices were released in 2018 and it seems that the popularity of the Xbox One X has been climbing since it was first released back in 2017.
These claims have been consolidated by the official earnings report for Q3. The revenue gained from selling devices grew by 9%, reaching an impressive $1.26 billion. A large piece of that revenue is represented by the sale of Surface devices and other PC peripherals. The revenue of the gaming division; which is responsible for services, consoles and games has also increased tremendously, up by 44%, translating into a cool $2.74 billion. In this case the growth was boosted by an impressive 36% increase in revenue gained from selling software and other services.
These numbers are a clear hint for the future of the company. It is likely that Microsoft will continue to expand its hardware division in order to attract and retain new customers.
Below you can find 5 devices that could be released in 2019.
1. Surface Book 3
A refreshed Surface Book is a must. If Microsoft adds the latest components developed by Intel and NVIDIA it will obtain a powerful device that could compete with classic laptops.
2. Surface Pro 7
While the Surface Pro 6 was released less than four months ago some are already looking forward a new model. An improved CPU, reduced bezels and several USB-C ports would constitute an attractive package.
3. The Surface Phone
This one is a little bit far-fetched. A leaked file hinted that Microsoft could be working a on a flexible smartphone. If Microsoft opts to use Android the device could be successful.
4. Xbox Scarlett
The company has already acknowledged that a new console is currently in development. Many gamers hope that it will provide a better performance while also retaining the features that make Xbox devices great.
5. A new HoloLens developer kit
The HoloLens system has not been released commercially but the developer packs were quite popular. A new version of the device could be released in 2019 in the form of another developer kit.
Agnes is a technical writer, being in touch with reports to come up with the latest tech leaks.
