The anticipation for 2017 is focused on Apple's "iPhone 8" and Samsung's "Galaxy S8" and its follow-up to the disastrous "Galaxy Note 7". But it looks like Microsoft has a good, if not a better option with the Surface Phone, which is expected to come out in the first half of 2017.

According to a report from Trusted Reviews, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella confirmed last November that they are working on a smartphone device that he calls will be the "ultimate mobile device." He also said that the company plans to stay in the phone market.

But he said it will not be "as defined by today's market leaders, but by what it is that we can uniquely do in what is the most ultimate mobile device." Though the company has been silent about the specs of its new phone, rumors are saying that it will have an all-metal aesthetics, which is in line with the Microsoft Surface Book.

The report said that other rumored specs include the phone having three variants, the Consumer Edition, Business Edition, and the Enthusiast Edition. All three variants are said to be sporting a 5.7-inch display.

It will also be having a 3GB RAM with 32GB storage for the first version, a 6GB RAM with 128GB storage for the second and an 8GB RAM with 500GB storage for the likely high-end model. The "Microsoft Surface Phone" will also likely sport a Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 835-chipset and it will run on Windows 10.

As for Apple's "iPhone 8," Telegiz reports that the new smartphone device is rumored to have an edgeless display, a curved screen, a glass body, and no physical home button. The "iPhone 8," which is codenamed Ferrari, is also rumored to sport wireless battery charging and will also come in three variants, two 4.7-inch display models that have TFT-LCD and a 5.5-inch model with OLED screen.

The report said that rumors are saying the "iPhone 8" will also have iris scanning technology, allowing users to unlock the phone with their eyes. With both Apple and Microsoft being quiet about the specs of their latest smartphone devices, it's really hard to gauge how the two phones would compare against each other.

But the rumored specs coming out are showing promise for the two devices, and with Samsung still reeling from the "Galaxy Note 7" debacle, the Microsoft has a chance to establish itself as Apple's major competitor. Check out the video about who will win between the "Microsoft Surface Pro" and the "Apple iPhone 8."