It has already been years since the first report about the Surface Phone broke out. As Microsoft refuses to confirm that a new Windows-based mobile phone is underway, some people have chosen to believe that the Surface Phone is no longer happening. Regardless, fresh patent leaks were spotted online, which suggest that the Redmond-based tech firm is actually working on the Surface Phone. The recent patent leak shows that the device could bring back Back Touch, a feature that almost made it to the current Windows mobile phones.

As reported by MSPowerUser, Microsoft is looking for ways to introduce its next Windows mobile handset as a unique device. With this, the company could be incorporating a new form factor to the Surface Phone build, particularly a foldable setup. Interestingly, the latest patent document from Microsoft, titled "Gesture Language for a Device with Multiple Touch Surfaces," reveals that a foldable device could have a Back Touch, wherein the rear side of the handset is wrapped with touchscreen panel.

The Back Touch for the Microsoft Surface Phone appears to be a great idea, as such feature is seen to be effective for a foldable device. With this technology, the back side of the phone will serve more purpose as the touch-sensitive panel on the rear can be used for gesture commands.

It can be noted that Microsoft's user interface researchers once came up with an idea to give a better purpose to the handset's rear portion by adding Back Touch. The back side is only known to offer protective covering for the battery and other specs, but with a touchscreen added to it, users will have more control options over the screen. Unfortunately, this plan never came to fruition, although a similar feature is already present on a few Samsung devices, in which the touch-sensitive back side can be accessed to swipe down the notification list.

In spite of the latest patent filing leak, the public is advised to take these details with a grain of salt, as most patents only contain ideas that may not reach the actual market. Tech firms like Microsoft always submit patents every year to secure their ideas. As for the Surface Phone, the Back Touch patent is not a guarantee that the device will be shipped with this technology.