Do you remember the Microsoft Courier wat back in 2009? It was Microsoft’s vision of what a dual screen tablet would look like, but it never came to fruition. Now, 10 years later, we have a new foldable called the Surface Duo. It is a dual sided device with 5.3-inch screen running Android. That’s right, this Microsoft product is running Android.
The design resembles the other dual screen device Microsoft just announced, the Neo, but it is smaller. Where the Neo is meant to be a more compact Surface device running Windows 10, the Surface Duo is obviously meant to compete with smartphones.
Read: We don’t need the Samsung Galaxy Note anymore
The Surface Duo features two 5.6-inch displays that can rotate 360 degrees, allowing it to be fully unfolded as a miniature 8.3-inch tablet. Both displays is able to run two different apps at the same time, but it can also be turned into landscape mode where the Duo will allow the second display to be used as a keyboard or game controller.
When you see the Surface Duo you might not immediately think of Android. That is because the company has decided to put a skin onto the Android software that completely resembles Windows. The Duo is powered by a Snapdragon 855 processor, but elements of the design haven’t been finalized yet – like whether it’ll feature a rear camera at all.
While this might not seem like a big announcement in a heavily packed event where Microsoft spoke about many new products, it is the first time in years that Microsoft has decided to venture in the world of smartphones. Remember, they bought the Nokia Lumia business and ran it to the ground, and Windows Mobile and later Windows Mobile didn’t ever take off. The Surface Duo is a very important product for the Seattle-based company.
What do you think about the new Microsoft Duo? Let us know in the comments below.
