Microsoft Surface Duo spotted in public for the first time

Microsoft had one particularly exciting announcement towards the end of last year- the Surface Duo, a long rumoured Surface-branded smartphone. Microsoft's return to the smartphone market is a dual-screen, foldable phone that doubles as a small tablet. Better yet, Microsoft is embracing Android rather than a mobile version of Windows. We don't have a release date for the device just yet, but the Surface Duo is finally being spotted out in public. 

As spotted by a YouTuber this week, someone sitting on public transport was seen using the Surface Duo, indicating that Microsoft is giving the device out to developers and testers to gather feedback for improvements ahead of a 2020 launch.

The device in the video is still clearly a prototype, as we can see by occasional sluggish software performance. The device is being put to good use though, with the person handling it trying it out in dual-screen mode and using the foldable function for the displays.

Currently, we know that the Surface Duo features two 5.6-inch displays, with a 360 degree hinge in the middle to give full freedom when folding the displays. When both displays are folded out, you essentially get an 8.3-inch tablet. Multitasking support is included too, so you can run two separate apps on both displays, or in the case of game streaming, the bottom display can be used for touch screen controls while the upper display shows the game running.

Currently, the Surface Duo is scheduled to release in late 2020 and Microsoft is still tight lipped on some of the specific specs. However, with the phone being used out in public, it likely won't be long before we start hearing more.

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KitGuru Says: As someone who is looking to switch away from iPhone this year, the Surface Duo has my attention. There are plenty of foldable devices hitting the market right now but I'm very interested in the approach Microsoft is taking. Are any of you looking forward to seeing the final version of the Surface Duo? 

 

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