Microsoft planning Zune phone? New tablet?

Microsoft is never one to miss out on any new trend — though they’re usually the last ones to arrive at the party. ZDNet’s Mary-Jo Foley has received some insider intel that MS has an entire division secretly working on its own cell phone, code-named “Project Pink.” Pink is part of a new strategy to eventually phase out production of Microsoft’s own Zune device and rebrand Zune as “a set of subscription services that will move to mobile phones — including Pink.”

Sounds like a Zune Phone is on the way, don’t you think?

The story gets even more interesting when Foley reminds us that Microsoft was once working on its own touchscreen tablet device. Now, rumors are swirling that MS has reignited interest in this notion, since everyone in the world seems to be jumping on the tablet bandwagon. Microsoft’s ace in the hole is Surface — its advanced touchscreen table device being manufactured for hotels and restaurants. Scuttlebutt suggests that MS could be looking to leverage its Surface technology for its proposed tablet device.

Anyone who’s seen the highly impressive Surface in action will immediately be intrigued by this notion, because Surface can do all sorts of things that no other touchscreen device can do, like “Object Recognition” — Surface’s ability to interact with various kinds of objects, including other gadgets like cell phones.

Foley suggests that MS isn’t likely to go public with its Surface Tablet until after Apple launches its long-rumored “iPad” tablet. The Project Pink phone is expected to run on Windows Mobile 7, which won’t be available until late next year, so that’s at least a year off.

What do you think? Would you be interested in a Zune Phone or a Surface Tablet?

Zune image: Microsoft Corporation. “Zune Phone” mockup by Robin Parrish.