"RIP Surface Duo": Microsoft Apparently Gives Up On The Odd Form Factor

Zac Bowden of Windows Central is the go-to source for any Microsoft Surface speculations, and according to his most recent information, the Surface Duo 3, or at least a device that fits the same general mold as the Surface Duo 1 and 2, has been scrapped. The Surface Duo form factor—a dual-screen device with a 360-degree hinge—is gone, though there may one day be a Microsoft product with the moniker "Surface Duo 3." In line with a Galaxy Fold, the source claims that Microsoft is now developing a "more classic folding design, with a 180-degree hinge, internal foldable screen, and external cover display." Two of the most awkward Android devices on the market were the Surface Duo models. Both Surface Duos had short, fat panels rather than the typically tall, slender displays found on Android phones, making the Duo line the broadest smartphones available. The scrapped "Windows 10x" operating system was designed to operate on the original Surface Duo and would have made use of the unusual screen aspect ratio. Photo Credit: Microsoft When that OS was abandoned, the project was saved as an Android phone, but those short, fat screens caused a number of awful Android app layouts, and Android's large headers and tab bars further decreased the limited vertical screen space. Microsoft appears to have sought to adopt the same fundamental structure as a Moleskine notebook, but Android apps aren't made for that aspect ratio. Additionally, despite being folded up, it was extremely difficult to carry with one hand because it was so much wider than any other smartphone on the market. Also Read: Microsoft Surface Duo 2 is currently sold out After two nearly similar iterations, Microsoft appeared to be shifting its position in favor of the "far too wide" school of thought. According to the source, the Surface Duo 3, which was never released, would have sported "narrower and taller edge-to-edge displays," giving the phone a more practical form factor. Due to the cancellation of those plans, what is "considered a third-generation Duo internally" will instead be a more conventional foldable smartphone; it is unclear if it will bear the "Surface Duo 3" name or not. A continuous inside screen would be a significant upgrade over the dual-screen design, as we argued in our evaluation of the original gadget. With a single large foldable display, you could still use Android's software split-screen mode to operate two screens simultaneously, but with the extra benefit of having a single large screen for tablet apps, movies, games, and webpages. Photo Credit: YouTube Microsoft's Android phones have a number of other issues that the business will need to address in addition to the form factor being incompatible with Android. The Surface Duos have consistently had the feel of early-stage folding gadgets, and this compromise may have worked if they hadn't cost as much as a genuine foldable phone. You have to question what is going on with Microsoft's supply chain because the $1,400–$1,500 price tags were out of line for what were essentially two smartphones sewn together. Microsoft's Android software division has likewise been a hot mess; the Surface Duo 1 OS was outsourced until two months before release, and as a result, an appallingly flawed version of Android was released. Although Surface Duo customers have experienced the worst-in-class Android update record thus far, Microsoft has subsequently purchased the organization it was outsourcing its Android builds to. According to the source, Microsoft is developing "Perfect Together," an internal application that creates seamless connections between phones and laptops and desktop computers, in order to improve the way its Android phones interact with Windows. Bowden claims that Microsoft is "all-in" with Android despite the Surface Duo's failure and "keen to expand its line of Android smartphone products" beyond the upcoming foldable tablet. According to the report, Microsoft has tested many concepts for a slab-style Surface phone that could one day be released. Photo Credit: AMIT Microsoft's next Android phone appears to be something we'll have to wait for some time, according to Bowden, who also noted that the foldable has "no definite shipment window for the device in place yet, suggesting it's unlikely to be ready in time for this fall."