Microsoft will allegedly release a new phone under the tech giant's Surface brand, a rumor that has been brought to the spotlight due to a recent patent filed by Microsoft.

According to Beta News, Microsoft filed a patent for a "Fingerprint Detection with Transparent Cover" with the World Intellectual Property Organization. The recently filed patent gave way to rumors about the impending release of a new Microsoft Surface phone. What's more is that Microsoft engineer Laura Butler teased that the Surface Phone is indeed a confirmed upcoming product that Microsoft is working on.

As for the phone's specifications, the Microsoft Surface phone is rumored to sport a new fingerprint sensor that is slimmer than the ones that are equipped in other smartphones today. The new sensor is also said to increase security measures since the phone will only unlock once the fingers are firmly placed in the display panel.

Moreover, the new Surface phone is also rumored to come in two variants that would cater to both general and business consumers. The two variants are said to come in both 5.5-inch and 6-inch AMOLED displays.

The new Surface Phone is also expected to pack a lot of power that can measure up to its competitors. Microsoft's new phone will supposedly come with a powerful Intel Kaby Lake processor and 4 GB of RAM along with 64 GB of internal storage for the base model, or 8 GB of RAM with 512 GB of internal storage for the high-end model.

Furthermore, the Microsoft Surface Phone is also expected to run on a Windows 10 OS, and will be sporting a 21MP rear shooter coupled with an 8MP front facing camera.

Though there is no official release date yet for the Microsoft Surface phone, rumors suggest that the device is expected to come to the market in the first half of 2017.