Microsoft unveils ‘folding’ dual-screen smartphone

Just when you thought you had enough screens, Microsoft plans to re-enter the phone market with a dual-screen device.

You could be forgiven for thinking modern life is one long sleepwalk through a House of Mirrors-esque collection of different screens, and now one of the companies partially responsible for that has decided we could all do with one (or two) more.

Computing pioneer Microsoft has announced a new line-up of dual-screen devices, including one that brings it back into the smartphone market it famously crashed out of three years ago.

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The Surface Duo was unveiled at Microsoft’s annual Surface event in New York this week, alongside the similarly dual-screened Surface Neo laptop.

Microsoft chief product officer Panos Panay presents Surface Duo and Surface Neo at an event in New York.

Rumours had been circulating about the dual-screen laptop for some time, but Microsoft chief product officer Panos Panay appeared to take great delight in telling assembled members of the tech press they hadn’t scooped the announcement of the Duo.

“I read your tweets, I saw the leaks, I read the websites … good job, everyone did their job. You got it all right, except for one thing,” Mr Panay said.

He then threw to a video of a woman using the dual-screen Neo laptop before pulling a ringing Duo out of her bag.

Meet the new Surface Duo. Coming Holiday 2020. #MicrosoftEvent pic.twitter.com/75uoCMwm0L

— Microsoft Surface (@surface) October 2, 2019

The dual-screen phone, which Microsoft admits is still in the development stages and won’t be coming out for at least another year, houses two side-by-side 5.6-inch screens and will be the first Surface device that you can fit in your pocket.

While initial responses have been generally favourable, there are some who aren’t yet convinced the Duo will be enough to bring Microsoft back into the smartphone race.

As interesting as Surface Duo is, please look beyond the flashy video and look closer... Where's the damn camera? What are the specs? What other features will it have? Microsoft has A LOT to prove here and a lot of burnt bridges with customers, so don't just give them a pass.

— Aaron Hall (@GoodThings2Life) October 2, 2019

2 separate screens with a hinge.. groundbreaking.. pic.twitter.com/ZoeFT9x0Rm

— Mark Valenti (@Mark_Valenti_1) October 2, 2019

Microsoft evidently learned its lesson from the last time it tried to enter the market and will instead work with Google to use its Android operating system on the Duo.

Mr Panay described the phone as “industry pushing technology”, perhaps because he couldn’t call it “industry first”.

Mr Panay told journalists he was ‘excited’ to unveil the Duo but retained his usual measured tone throughout.

Earlier this year, LG released a similar dual-screen product in the V50 smartphone, which has an attachable second screen accessory.

Samsung and Huawei have both announced their own Galaxy Fold and Mate X foldable phones, which use a single screen that folds rather than two on a hinge.

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While Samsung has now released its device overseas, there are lingering questions over its durability, given models are still exhibiting some of the fatal faults that pushed back its release earlier this year.

The foldable phone approach that @Microsoft use to develop #surfaceDuo is much better and more safer than the stupid #galaxyfold approach.

— Rouzbeh Abadi (@rouzbeh7000) October 2, 2019

An Australian release date for the Galaxy Fold is yet to be confirmed, but Samsung’s local division said it would eventually be sold here.

Huawei is expected to launch the Mate X next month and has said it will be sold in Australia.

Samsung was first to market with a folding phone, but it hasn’t been an easy launch.

The Surface Neo, made up of two 9-inch screens, will also have competition from a similar device in the pipeline from Lenovo. That device could also run Microsoft’s new Windows 10 X operating system, a version of Windows optimised for dual-screen devices.

Like the Duo, the Neo won’t hit the shelves until at least October 2020.

Microsoft also used the Surface event to announce a suite of updated and new devices and accessories.

The third-generation Surface Laptop ($1699) has added a 15-inch model ($1999) to the line-up and will launch on October 22, along with a new, faster Surface Pro 7 ($1249).

Microsoft also announced the Surface Pro X ($1699), which it said would be the thinnest, lightest, most powerful and most connected Surface Pro yet when it launches on November 19.

The company revealed it would also introduce a pair of wireless Surface Earbuds to compete with Apple’s AirPods but wouldn’t specify a release date.

What do you think of the new foldable phones? The future of tech or a passing gimmick? Let us know in the comments below.