Microsoft made another surprising announcement during its recent Surface event when it unveiled the new foldable Microsoft Surface Duo. The Redmond-based tech giant is shipping Google Play and Android on its 5.6-inch dual-display device. Here is what we know so far about the Microsoft Surface Duo.
The new Microsoft Surface Duo has a design that resembles the recently announced Microsoft Surface Neo but on a pocketable and smaller scale. The latest Surface phone from Microsoft features a couple of 5.6-inch displays capable of 360 degrees rotation. This enables the latest device to fully unfold like a miniature 8.3-inch tablet.
Each of the displays of the new Microsoft Surface Duo can run two varying apps at the same time. It can also be turned into landscape mode, enabling the second display to be utilized as a game controller or a keyboard. The new Surface phone is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor, according to Wired. However, at this point, some elements of the design are not yet final and we cannot confirm if it will feature a rear camera.
Dual-screen Android devices are definitely trying to have a moment with devices like the Samsung Galaxy Fold or Huawei Mate X. But, Microsoft's Panos Panay emphasized that the Android version on the Microsoft Surface Duo is a customized one using the company's knowledge on dual-screen from Microsoft Surface Neo. In other words, splitting tasks between a couple of displays will be a more natural task and it should function less like a foldable device and more like a couple of phones squeezed into one massive device.
The Redmond-based tech giant has avoided releasing a smartphone after it succumbed to a loss on the OS war against Google and Apple. We heard a lot of rumors about the Surface Phone and others even claimed that it is codenamed, Andromeda. The project was reportedly killed a year ago but considering the launch of Microsoft Surface Duo, it appears that rumors about its demise were not correct.
In regards to the price, camera support, and battery life of the Microsoft Surface Duo, we have no official information yet. But, just like its bigger sibling Microsoft Surface Neo, the new Surface Phone is anticipated to be officially available in the later part of 2020. Although Panay Panos appeared to loathe calling the Microsoft Surface Duo a phone during the event, the announcement of a new Surface Phone is huge for the Redmond-based tech giant.
This marks Microsoft's return to the smartphone industry for the first time since the demise of the Windows Phone platform in 2017. We will keep you posted with more details about the Microsoft Surface Duo as soon as we get interesting information from Microsoft.
