Microsoft plans major change for next Surface phone

3 years ago 1

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Microsoft will ditch the internal dual screens in its next Surface Duo phone and instead use a single foldable main display, according to a report from Windows Central’s Zac Bowden.

Sources familiar with the company’s plans told Bowden that Microsoft had decided to switch to a more conventional foldable design for the third iteration of the Surface Duo after a year of hardware prototyping and experimentation.

Similar to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold and the Vivo X Fold, it will also have a secondary external display that lets you use the phone without opening up its larger display.

In addition, the hinge will only rotate up to 180 degrees, instead of the previous design that allowed users to flip both sides of the phone so that their backs would touch.

The change-up might be due to the mixed reviews given to the Surface Duo 2, which was released in 2021.

It’s unclear when the Surface Duo 3 will be unveiled, and Bowden said Microsoft did not yet have a specific shipping window in place, making it likely to launch by the US 2023 autumn release season.

With the Surface Duo adopting a more conventional design and expected to continue running on Android, it remains to be seen how Microsoft plans to distinguish it from competitors.

Aside from Samsung and Vivo, it will also have to contend with Huawei’s upcoming Mate X3, which will be the company’s first to feature the same booklet-style foldable design.