Microsoft Unveils Dual-Screen Smartphone, Tablet

Microsoft held its annual hardware event on Wednesday (Oct 2), and it introduced a slew of new products, including a dual screen phone and tablet, according to a report by CNBC.

The phone is called the Duo smartphone and the tablet is called the Surface Neo. Both run on Google’s Android operating system, and not Windows. The company also introduced new laptops and earbuds as well as a new iteration of the company’s surface tablet. 

“With the Surface we focused on three distinct ambitions,” Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said. “We wanted to put people at the center of every device experience. We wanted to innovate across form and function, especially with a focus on how we can drive the next level of creation and productivity. That led to the first Surface Pro 2-in-1.”

The Duo Phone can run two different apps on both screens simultaneously, and it will be available in the 2020 holiday season. The hinge is 360 degrees and it folds up when not in use. 

Both of the Surface Neo’s displays work independently, so each screen can run its own app. It also has a pop-out keyboard and trackpad, which sticks to the back when not in use. The device is 5.6mm thin and reinforced with gorilla glass, although it does have a break in the middle of the screen. 

The Surface Pro X is Qualcomm powered. It has a 13-inch screen and has a detachable keyboard, and a slim pen. It also features a removable hard drive. Preorders begin today and it will ship on Nov. 5. It costs $999. 

The Microsoft Surface earbuds are meant to compete with Apple’s AirPods. They have 24-hour battery life and Microsoft said they “work on any platform.” They feature gesture control so users can pause, skip or adjust volume. 

The company’s new laptops are the Surface Laptop 3 and Surface Pro 7. The Laptop 3 is made from aluminum and the area around the keyboard is a soft-touch area, although there will be a model without that. They will include fast charging, and Microsoft said they feature “all day battery life.”