A leaked video shows Microsoft originally had a more ambitious vision for the Lumia 950 and 950 XL that included a pen accessory and an ‘Active Sides’ 3D touch feature akin to the HTC U11’s squeezable sides.
The video, from Windows Central, shows the device supporting the same pen used on the Surface, with a user marking up a picture that appears immediately on a Surface tablet nearby through OneNote.
It also briefly shows the ‘Active Sides’ feature, which reportedly let the device detect when it was being held, allowing for a higher level of intelligence when it comes to turning off the the display or rotating the screen. A related leak from earlier this year by Twitter user @tfwboredom, shown below, further reveals some of the gesture options that were apparently cut.
Big thanks to @gus33000 for helping out with this, here's a look at one of the biggest cut features of the Lumia 950 family: Gestures. pic.twitter.com/ygkouzejB7
— Albacore ☁️ (@thebookisclosed) February 26, 2017
Windows Central also published internal media documents that show a ‘smartcover’ with a circular hole in the front to show the time or other relevant info and a clip-on spot for the pen — drawing a connection between the device and the Surface brand.
The video, obtained by Windows Central from an anonymous source, was reportedly a concept reel made during the 950’s development in early 2015 — though the publication says sources assured them that several of the features, including pen support, were working on 950 prototypes and was only canned shortly before launch.
Do you think this version of the Lumia 950 would have been more successful than the one that made it to market? Let us know in the comments.
Source: Windows Central
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