The new Surface Duo smartphone with the original dual-screen design was expected to ship by the end of this year.
American multinational tech giant Microsoft is reportedly pivoting to a foldable screen design for its next Surface smartphone. The company has scrapped its initial plans for a dual-screen Surface Duo 3, according to a report by Windows Central.
The move comes after Microsoft had already finalized a dual-screen design for Surface Duo 3 and also after a year-long experimentation and hardware prototyping with its dual-screen design. Now, the traditional foldable design will include a 180-degree hinge, internal foldable screen, and external cover display, the report added. The next Surface Duo device is expected to be similar to the Vivo X Fold and Honor Magic Vs.
Reportedly, the new Surface Duo smartphone with the original dual-screen design was expected to ship by the end of this year. However, with this rejig, it is unclear when the device will be shipped and also what its specification will be.
The Verge speculates that the new smartphone is unlikely to debut this year, but Microsoft could launch a different Android-based device in 2023. The Windows Central report added that the tech major has already prototyped several traditional slab smartphone designs that could ship as a “mainstream” Surface phone product.
Microsoft launched a notebook-like Surface Duo 2 in September 2021. The device opens up to reveal two 5.8-inch screens, with a 90hz refresh rate, that can be used together and encourages the user to multitask. It was launched in white and black color options for $1500.
