Nokia and HTC have both been pushing their Windows Phone 8 handsets over the past month, but will all that become irrelevant when Microsoft announces the Surface phone? The above image was posted to the Windows Phone Facebook page. It’s a render of a phone that features no branding from any OEM, so it very well could be a hint that Microsoft is planning on jumping into the handset ring just as it did with the Surface tablet.

It’s curious that Microsoft would use an unbranded render for their images and announcements, as typically they’ve stuck with promoting products that consumers can actually buy right now. The HTC 8X has taken the cake for that, as Microsoft is currently running a contest where you can win one of five handsets just by using its search engine. What do you think? Is Microsoft giving us a hint that they’re about to jump into the mobile space as more than just a software provider?

[via Windows Phone Facebook]