Not to be bested by giant competitors like Samsung, during Microsoft Keynote, the company also announced two folding surprises – Surface Neo and Surface Duo. The former has the size of a mini-tablet but with two screens that run on the new Windows 10X. While the latter is a foldable smartphone powered by Google’s Android with two separate screens. These two foldable mobile devices from Microsoft will arrive near the end of 2020. By that time, the two products are expected to be polished enough to be used dependently.
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Microsoft Surface Neo Running New Windows 10X
Starting with the Surface Neo, it’s an ambitious effort to introduce another category to the market — bridging the gap between laptops and tablets. Featuring two separate 9″ screens, the Surface Neo folds out into a 13″ mini laptop (or tablet, whichever you prefer). Due to the ways the device work, Microsoft is introducing several means (or “postures”, as Microsoft likes to call it) to users to interact with this hybrid machine. You can use both screens for reading, open and work on apps simultaneously, or have a part of the screen to act as a touchpad or trackpad like a Macbook Pro. With the magnetic keyboard made for Surface Neo, while resting on a part of the screen, the rest can act as secondary windows, a la Asus Zenbook Pro Duo. Adding to its long list of functionality is the support for Surface Slim Pen. It’s attached by magnets on the back of the screen.
Given that it’s a new form-factor, Microsoft is also using a new version of Windows 10, dubbed as Windows 10X. Codenamed “Santorini”, it’s basically a foldable version of Windows 10. The start menu is a bit different — you still get your basic information on the bottom-right corner but the icons are hovering over the dock interface. During the presentation, Windows 10X worked seamlessly. Microsoft even says that all apps are supported. To keep it short, Windows 10X is made for foldable devices and we’re very excited for it.
Microsoft Surface Duo — A Foldable Surface Phone Running Android
Tons of exciting devices were introduced during Microsoft Keynote, but none of it was as exciting as the company’s new phone, albeit a foldable one, too. Meet Microsoft Surface Duo. On the surface, it looks like a small-scaled Surface Neo but once you open it, voila, you have Android. For starters, it’s not stock android. The theme resembles Microsoft’s fluent design featuring tiled icons. While it’s running on Snapdragon 855 chipset, this is just to show that it is indeed a working foldable phone. Unlike the Samsung Galaxy Fold and Huawei Mate X, Surface Duo has two 5.6″ screens. When unfolded, it stretches out to 8.3″ screen. By design, the screens are separated in order to run two apps simultaneously. After all, the company is all about productivity.
Since the two folding devices will be released before the end of 2020, prices were not revealed.
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