Even while rumors have been hinting that the Microsoft Surface Phone is in the works and the company is aiming to bring out a device with 8 GB RAM, others have been busy speculating about the demise of the business. Importantly, rumors about the Surface Phone are now indicating that its release is delayed until next year.

Reporting on the latest rumors about the Surface Phone, The Bitbag states that the device could be arriving in 2017. This delay has been associated with Intel's scraping of its Atom Processor, which was picked up earlier this month by several websites. When this particular bit of news was reported, many were quick to assume that Intel was exiting the mobile business altogether. However, since then, Intel has stated that it has no plans of exiting the mobile industry and is committed to the space.

However, it is clear that with the Atom Processor scrapped, it will not be arriving on the Surface Phone; instead, there are rumors that Microsoft is planning to use a standard processor from Snapdragon, which often finds its way into flagships manufactured by OEMs like Huawei and Samsung. There are also indications that the upcoming Surface Phone is going to have 8 GB RAM on board and will only come out next year with the Snapdragon 830 chipset. However, since the next Snapdragon 830 chipset is only scheduled to arrive at the beginning of next year, it is likely that the Surface Phone will be delayed until the chipset is ready to be included.

Meanwhile, websites have stated that Microsoft has plans to sell its mobile business to Foxconn. However, this particular rumor has specifically indicated that only the Nokia brand will be sold to Foxconn as Microsoft has the rights to it until 2024. Importantly, the Lumia range of phones that Microsoft has released under the brand over the past few years has not done well and this could be one reason why the company wants to sell the brand.