If recent rumors are to be believed, then Microsoft's Lumia 850 may be closer to reality than some may have previously believed.

Rumors surrounding the phone have been all over the place in recent months. It wasn't even that long ago when some folks had begun to believe that the Lumia 850 had just been scrapped from Microsoft's plans altogether, according to GSM Arena

That no longer appears to be the case, however, and the rumored phone may even be set to arrive very soon.

The most recent rumors concerning the Lumia 850 are now putting forth an early 2016 release date for the new phone, with some even suggesting a launch taking place sometime around February or March. 

Microsoft has yet to offer any official word regarding the Lumia 850, so it's hard to believe anything completely in either direction, but there does appear to be at least some reason to be optimistic when it comes to the phone's eventual fate.

According to Softpedia, Microsoft has put forth a three-pronged approach when it comes to their smartphone plans. This plan involves releasing devices that falls into three distinct categories, the flagships, the entry-level units and the midrangers. 

Microsoft supposedly already has units that fall into the first two categories and all that's left is to fill in the last column, which could be what the company has in mind for the Lumia 850.

Recently, noted tipsters Steve Hemmerstoffer (@OnLeaks) and Evan Blass (@evleaks) have also provided some new details about the Lumia 850.

Hemmerstoffer has released a set of photos that are alleged renders of the upcoming Lumia 850, while Blass has shared his own intel on some of the phone's new features such as golden embellishments.

It's tough to tell at this point if the new details are accurate, although both tipsters do have a fairly solid track record when it comes to smartphones.

People will know soon enough as more news is expected to come out regarding the Lumia 850 in the coming months.