While working on rolling out Windows 10 to PCs and handsets and after releasing its very first Surface Book laptop aka Macbook killer, Microsoft also has time to make a slew of smartphones, a couple of those apparently opening 2016 right for the tech giant.

Not much is known about this pair of devices though and rumor mills have been particularly silent about the purported handsets, until today that is. A new report claims that the forthcoming set of Microsoft-made handsets will boast a formidable set of specs.

Apparently, the Redmond-based software giant is testing the upcoming Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor on its 2016 smartphones. The next-gen chipset promises nippier and greater performance and processing power, making the devices of redoubtable makings.

Meanwhile, it is being said that Microsoft is also working on a so-called Surface Phone, which will be inclined more on productivity rather than the specs. The device is billed as a mobile companion for business users.

The Surface Phone is also special in the sense that it will be the first ever handset to be developed by Microsoft. The Lumia phones under its name were still of Nokia, making the smartphone field a bit of an uncharted territory for the company.

Not much is known about the specs of the Microsoft Surface Phone but according to rumors, it will come in a 5.5-inch Quad HD display. A 64-bit Intel Atom x3 (SoFIA) chipset will reportedly be humming under its hood with the help of a hefty 4-GB RAM.

There's no detail on the storage options it will offer though, but on the imaging department, users can expect a 21-MP PureView Zeiss six-lens rear-facing camera integrated on the Surface Phone as well as an 8-MP Zeiss wide-angle front-facing camera.

The Microsoft Surface Phone should of course have Windows 10 Mobile on board as well as a USB-Type C reversible port. There's no news on the release date yet.