When the Lumia series went down, it seemed like the end of smartphones for Microsoft. later the company confirmed that they were done with Windows powered smartphones. So, Microsoft isn't reviving their Windows smartphones but, this year they decided to take the Android bus instead. The result is their upcoming Surface Duo.
Now, before you get way too much exited about the product & it's specifications, Microsoft hasn't announced anything yet. They just showcased the product on their October 2nd event alongside a lot of other Surface Products. The Surface Duo is coming out in the holiday season of 2020 so, we have to wait another year to get the finalized specifications.
What I do know is that, it'll be powered by Qualcomm's hardware & it'll be running on Android. Considering the Dual Screen optimizations of Android 10, the experience should be pretty seamless. Microsoft has partnered with Google to create a great software experience for the Surface Duo so, that's nice too. Microsoft's major goal with the Surface Duo is Seamless Multitasking and if they get the software part right, this can be a great product for that.
The prototype was running two 5.6 inch displays joined together with a very thin bezel in the middle. So, unlike Samsung's Galaxy Fold, we don't have a foldable Display here but, we have two separate Displays instead. There was also a front facing Camera at the top of the display on the right which I'm assuming will double as the rear facing camera while folded with the other screen on the back. That was made possible with the unique hinge mechanism that flips almost up to 360 degrees.
The outer shell has that signature surface look so, people will immediately know that it's a Microsoft Surface product. All off this will probably cost quite a bit. But, as this device is coming out at the end of next year, Microsoft has a lot of time to work on it. So, hopefully they'll create a product that can compete the next generation of folding devices from companies like Samsung & Huawei.