This archive report was first published on 7 October 2019.
Microsoft made a surprise announcement last week, revealing its plans to re-enter the smartphone market with the Surface Duo, a dual-screened Android device.
At its October event, the company unveiled the Surface Duo alongside other new devices in its Surface line of premium laptops and 2-in-1 devices. This marks Microsoft's first phone in over two years, following the closure of its Windows Phone business in 2017 due to low sales.
Although some may have hoped that Microsoft's return to the phone space would revive the Windows Phone platform, the company has confirmed that it will not be reviving Windows Phone anytime soon. Instead, the Surface Duo will run on Android.
The Surface Duo is expected to be available during the 2020 holiday season, featuring two 5.6-inch displays that can be folded 360°. This allows users to close the screens for safety, open them to use both screens, or flip them 360° to use a single screen one-handed.
Microsoft's Surface Duo is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chipset, which may be a concern given that it will be a full generation behind the curve by the time the phone goes on sale. The company has emphasized that the device is designed to make users more productive, blending the computer and phone worlds.
According to Yusuf Mehdi, corporate vice president for Microsoft's modern life, search and devices group, the Surface Duo represents a new category of dual-screen computing. 'We think of these not just as products, but the beginning of a new category, dual-screen computing,' he said in an interview.
Microsoft's corporate vice president of devices, Panos Panay, also highlighted the device's potential for productivity, stating, 'We absolutely know scientifically that you will be more productive on two screens.' The Surface Duo is a result of Microsoft's partnership with Google to bring the best of Android to the device.
