Skip to main content

This may be another canceled Microsoft tablet we'll never get to hold

microsoft mercury tablet news lumia leak
Image used with permission by copyright holder
A mystery device called the Microsoft Mercury has been leaked, and beyond its general appearance and name, we know almost nothing about it. What’s more, and rather unfortunately, that may never change.

The Microsoft, or Nokia, Mercury was leaked on Twitter by @evleaks, and described as a device, “from the Lumia graveyard.” What’s pictured is a seemingly quite large mobile with a familiar brightly colored rear panel, circular camera lens and surround, along with Microsoft branding.

Recommended Videos

Although it’s not stated in the initial tweet, @evleaks goes on to say the Mercury was a tablet, something that’s impossible to tell from the picture itself. It’s an unusual design, with the almost centrally located camera lens, and no evidence of a flash unit; two things that make it look like a basic Windows Phone device from the Nokia back catalog.

Nokia only ever put its name on one Windows tablet, the Lumia 2520, while Microsoft has opted to use its own branding and the Surface name for devices larger than a phone or phablet. Judging by the proportions of the Mercury — the size of the camera lens, and the side-mounted buttons — it would have been smaller than a Surface, but potentially larger than a big-screen Windows Phone like the Lumia 1520.

Continuing into the world of cancelled Windows devices, that may have put the Mercury alongside the long-rumored, and then killed, Surface Mini tablet. Perhaps the Mercury would have come in around 7-inches in size, and been a Lumia-branded product aimed directly at consumers? There had been talk of a Lumia 2020 several years ago.

Like the 8-inch Surface, we’ll probably never know the full story, because if the leak is accurate the Mercury is already six-feet-under. Aside from these two canceled devices, we’ve also had a peak at a Nokia smartwatch-that-never-was recently, meaning Microsoft’s dangerous close to ditching a greater number of devices than they have actually announced over the past months.

Andy Boxall
Andy is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends, where he concentrates on mobile technology, a subject he has written about for…
I have a theory on how the PS5 Pro could actually outclass PCs
The PS5 Pro suspended in air.

Without a doubt, the PlayStation 5 Pro is the most powerful game console we've ever seen. It's set to launch next week, promising "45% faster rendering" on the back of a beefier graphics card and faster memory. It won't be enough to outclass a proper gaming desktop packing one of the best graphics cards -- not even close. But the PS5 Pro could have an edge over PCs in one area.

I say "could" because we really don't know. AMD pointed me to Sony, and Sony hasn't returned my request for comment about the specifics under the hood of the PS5 Pro. I have some hints, however, and if you'll indulge a little speculation, I have some interesting theories about how the PS5 Pro might have an edge over even powerful gaming PCs.
The PS5 Pro's secret weapon

Read more
Intel Battlemage GPU: everything we know so far
Intel Arc A770 GPU installed in a test bench.

Despite a rocky start, Intel's Arc GPUs are now among the best graphics cards you can buy. Targeting budget PC gamers, Intel has established itself as a major player in gaming graphics cards, and all eyes are on Team Blue with its next generation of GPUs, codenamed Battlemage.

We know Battlemage GPUs are coming, and Intel has slowly been dropping hints about the graphics cards over the past year. Although we're still waiting on an official release date, specs, and pricing details for Battlemage GPUs, there's a lot we can piece together already.
Intel Battlemage: specs

Read more
Spotify vs. Pandora: which streaming service should you choose?
spotify vs pandora on iphone

Let's settle a musical debate: which music streaming platform should you use: Spotify or Pandora?

Both services have their unique strengths and weaknesses. Spotify boasts a more extensive music catalog, robust social features for sharing and discovering music with friends, and a more polished user experience across devices.

Read more