If one is to believe "officials" from component suppliers in Asia, Microsoft is testing out a smartphone design-- even if said officials are not sure such designs will even head to mass production.
According to the Wall Street Journal one of the Microsoft smartphones being tested measures between 4- and 5-inches, making it similar in size to either the iPhone 5 (4-inch) or the Samsung Galaxy S III (4.8-inch).
Rumours of a Microsoft smartphone are not exactly new. Last month, the China Times, BGR and The Verge simultaneously reported on Microsoft plans to take on Apple and Samsung (and its own vendor partners!) with a Surface-branded smartphone.
In reaction to the rumours Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer tells the WSJ "we're quite happy this holiday [season] going to market hard with Nokia, Samsung and HTC... Whether we had a plan to do something different or we didn't have a plan I wouldn't comment in any dimension."