All eyes are now on Microsoft's upcoming hardware event in October, as rumors are rife that the Redmond-based tech giant will finally unveil their latest lineup of Surface gadgets. However, the highly anticipated Surface Phone might not be one of the devices to be launched next month. Instead, the Surface-branded handset will arrive in 2018.

According to the recent rumors, the upcoming Microsoft keynote event called "Future Decoded" by the end October will not reveal the Surface Phone. More so, it is unlikely that the company will launch a new flagship smartphone this year. Perhaps the closest thing to a Surface handset will be the Surface ARM Windows 10 device, but that still has to be confirmed.

One of the expected highlights of the Microsoft Surface Phone is that it will not look like a handset. With this, the mobile device may run the hybrid Andromeda operating system, which is a crossover between the Android and Windows 10 platforms. As the Andromeda OS is still in the works, it should be expected that the Surface Phone won't appear this year as well.

As for the rumored design of the Microsoft Surface Phone, it is speculated that the smartphone will sport a unique modular appearance. This is based on the leaked patent and renders of the device, revealing that the Surface Phone will be foldable. It is also expected to come with a detachable keyboard and stylus pen. The leaked images show the Microsoft Surface Phone having a selfie screen, a game controller case, plus an edge-to-edge screen display.

Nevertheless, the public should be wary of these leaks as there is a chance that Microsoft will not push through with their initial design plans.

According to Motley Fool, Microsoft, like other tech companies, has filed several device patents, but there are times that they cancel their submitted designs. For example, Microsoft was expected to launch a Surface Mini tablet based on a leaked patent but they decided to scrap the project.