Back in October 2019, Microsoft unveiled the Android-powered Surface Duo foldable device. To recall, it was announced to be made available in Holiday 2020.
According to a tweet from Zac Bowden, the Microsoft Surface Duo has already entered production and will reportedly go on sale in the week of August 24.
The recent listings on the FCC and Bluetooth SIG websites suggested the device might come out early. However, there is no official confirmation yet from the Redmond giant. It is expected that the company might start accepting pre-orders in the next couple of weeks.
Surface Duo production reportedly started
We are also yet to know the complete specifications of Microsoft’s first-ever foldable device. Unlike the Samsung Galaxy Fold or Moto Razr, the Surface Duo doesn’t actually sport a foldable display.
At its press event in New York City last year, the company mentioned the Surface Duo will sport two separate 5.6-inch AMOLED displays with a resolution of 1800 by 1350 pixels each.
These two displays are connected by a 360-degree hinge, which will allow the device to be folded inwards or outwards. It comes powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Mobile Platform and packs 6GB of RAM.
The foldable will be available in 64GB and 256GB storage variants. In terms of optics, the Surface Duo comes equipped with a single 11MP camera that acts as both the front and rear camera.
With two AMOLED displays and a flagship chipset, the device only features a 3,460mAh-capacity battery. It might not even last a single day with a full charge.
Microsoft is yet to reveal the complete specifications
Hopefully the company makes a few changes like bigger battery capacity and newer chipset with the final version. The Surface Duo will run on Android 10 with Microsoft Launcher UI by default.
Once Android 11 goes public, we can expect Microsoft to bring the latest Android version for better compatibility with dual-screen apps.
Recently, Microsoft announced that it will be supporting Google’s Android dual-screen developer API. We can expect the popular Microsoft apps to take advantage of the dual screens from day one.
The company should be revealing the complete details before the Microsoft Surface Duo goes on sale.
Last year, the company also demoed the Project xCloud (Xbox cloud gaming service) on the Surface Duo. When playing games, one of the two displays can be used just for controls.
Alongside the Surface Duo, Microsoft also showcased the Windows-powered Surface Neo with much bigger displays. As per the leaks, the Surface Neo will likely make its debut in early 2021.