No one saw this coming. We knew that Microsoft was going to launch a new dual-screen Surface device at its hardware event in New York and it did — Surface Neo, which looks absolutely gorgeous. But, the Surface Neo is accompanied by a smaller sibling – Surface Duo.
Surface Duo is not a laptop but a smartphone. Microsoft’s product chief Panos Panay will disagree the same way he did on stage, but yeah, the Surface Duo marks Microsoft’s re-entry into the smartphone segment. That too, with a loud bang. But, not just yet. Surface Duo is a prototype that Microsoft showed off on stage today and is expected to arrive later in Holidays 2020.
This smartphone features a smaller form factor (easily pocketable) as compared to the Surface Duo. It includes two 5.6-inch displays, connected by a hinge that rotates a full 360-degrees. Surface Duo transforms into a miniature tablet with an 8.3-inch screen. I mean, it’s not foldable like the Galaxy Fold but it looks super cool.
Microsoft didn’t talk much about the internals or the software tweaks on stage, but The Wired reports that Surface Duo is a flagship. It’s powered by the latest Snapdragon 855 chipset and runs Android, with Microsoft’s own skin on top – it feels much alike Windows 10X. It can run two apps simultaneously side-by-side, you can use the second screen as a gamepad, and there’s stylus support as well.
When placed side-by-side, the Surface Duo looks like a small Surface Neo. but the former is a smartphone is not evident right off the bat. The design is also the same. It’s clean and minimalistic, with no camera bumps or anything on the rear. You’ll most likely rely on the selfie camera for clicking pictures – but we cannot confirm it right now.
We all would love to get our hands on the Surface Duo right away, but it’s currently just another prototype that arrives next year. Microsoft hasn’t made a phone in the previous three years – since the death of Windows Phones, but it’s stepping back into the market with Android onboard and a new gusto to build out the best platform for professionals. I think this is a great idea that could work wonders but we will have to wait until the next Surface event (i.e in 2020) to know more. Hyped? I sure am. Let us know your thoughts down in the comments section.
