Microsoft kills dual-screen Surface Duo series, to bring true foldable phone: Report

Speculations are rife that Microsoft's true foldable phone may come in 2024

Two years, American software major Microsoft launched Android-powered Surface Duo. Unlike the Galaxy Fold or Flip series, which have full-fledged wide screens with the bendable capability, Microsoft's device had two screens held by a hinge at the centre.

The design language was a bit flawed, as the split screen and the user-interface software were not fully optimised and this had an effect on several apps and were not able to fully operate on the phone.

Now, reports are coming that Microsoft has decided to forego the dual screen concept and go for a more practical device form factor and use the flexible display we see in the current crop of foldable phones.

Surface Duo 2. Credit: Microsoft

Community blog Windows Central reported that Microsoft engineers had actually finalised the Surface Duo 3 with two screens and had upgrades such as bigger dimensions, wireless charging capabilities, and more, over the predecessor. It was supposed to hit stores in the second half of 2023, but, at the last moment, the company scrapped the plan.

Now, Microsoft is said to bring a truly foldable phone and come with 180-degree flexible hinge at the centre. There is no word on specific internal hardware details such as processor, RAM, screen size, or battery capacity as such, but will be a competitive phone on par with premium foldable phones in the market.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4. Credit: DH Photo/KVN Rohit

Also, there is a probability of Microsoft dropping the Surface Duo branding and instead, coming up with a new modern name for its flagship foldable phone.

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And, the company is said to be focused on adding several value-added features, optimisation of Android software for seamless interoperability with Windows PC, and also Microsoft's productivity suite of apps such as Office, Word, and more, to make its foldable phone stand out among peers.

There is no definitive information on when Microsoft's true foldable phone would launch, but speculations are rife that it may come only in 2024.

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