Microsoft surprised everyone following the Surface Live Event on October 2nd, 2019 by announcing six new products in total. Besides successors of well-known Surface devices, the product range will be extended with dual screen devices. The new pocket-sized Surface with dual screen will be published under the name Surface Duo.

Besides the Surface Hub or Surface Studio, Microsoft put a clear focus on laptops and convertibles for the Surface family. The new Surface Duo is likely to change that: Apart from a perfect compatibility with all common Office 365 applications, the device is expected to offer key features of smartphones as well. These assumptions are based on the official Microsoft product presentation video shown during the live event in which an incoming call is accepted using the Surface Duo.

The image shows the technology inside of the Surface Duo.
Surface Duo offers the latest technology.
A person is holding a Surface Duo in one hand.
The Surface Duo is designed to be a mobile hybrid device between a tablet and a smartphone.

An eye for the details

The pocket-sized dual screen presented on October 2nd, 2019 consists of two 5,6 inch LCD displays covered with a thin glass surface. Both screens are expected to be either used individually or combined to a 8,3 inch tablet thanks to a newly developed Software. A 360° hinge connects both screens and allows users to open, close or fold the device. So far no announcements concerning the weight of the device have been made. The products presented during the event will probably not be the end product, so details about the device might still change.

A person is holding the Surface Duo. One screen is used as a keyboard, the other one shows a chat.
The two screens of the Surface Duo can be used in multiple ways. 
A Surface Duo with one screen fold back.
The 360 degree hinge enables users to fold back one screen completely.

Split-Screen, Dual-Screen, One-Screen

According to the statement during the live event, Microsoft is currently working together with Google Android to create a software that is made specially for mobile dual screens in order to perfectly use each screen, as well as the smartphone features. Also, the software is expected to allow functions such as split screen usage, screen rotation or answering calls by folding back one screen. Such features in combination with the Office applications for a pocket-sized device might enable an even more flexible and mobile Modern Workplace. An integrated camera could improve the possibilities to attend meetings on the go while parallelly running OneNote on the second screen to collect handwritten notes.

A Surface Duo with Google Maps running on the two screens.
The dual-screen design allows users to open an application across two screens.
A women is writing on the Surface Duo using a Slim Pen.
The Surface Duo is compatible with the Surface Slim Pen.

Surface Duo – One step ahead

As of today, the Surface Duo seems to combine all advantages of a smartphone as well as a tablet. However, it can not be understood as either of them and is therefore likely to have the potential of creating an own market. We are excited for the growth of the Surface family with the new dual screen devices and for all of these new possibilities improving the digital lifestyle.

All product information outlined in this article come from the official Microsoft event on October 2nd, 2019 or from the official product presentation video. However, none of these information has been confirmed. This article only presents the opinion of Surface.Love. All images used are Microsoft press photos. Changes and further development of design or performance might happen. All new information and details will be regularly updated on Surface.Love  and Stories.Surface.Love until the anticipated official release at the end of 2020.