The idea is to appeal to those who like to be productive on their smartphones, but who struggle to complete complex tasks away from a laptop - the Samsung Galaxy Note crowd, in other words. Yep, Microsoft wants this to be an entirely new type of device, capable of giving something different to the user than the company's existing 2-in-1 Surface devices. To find that perfect intersection of hardware and software that unlocks a more intuitive way to work and create.' We had a vision for how we could take the best elements of each to create something entirely new. 'We didn't set out to combine two existing devices - the tablet and the laptop. Put simply, we wanted to help people get things done. In a post to launch Surface Duo in the US, Panay added some more background to the creation of Surface Duo: 'When we created Surface seven years ago, we wanted to challenge convention by redefining expectations for what a productivity device should be, and what it should do. However, Panay said the company doesn't view the new Surface Duo as a smartphone - despite its ability to be used for calls. Foldable tablet that can be used as a phoneĪt its 2019 Surface launch event, Microsoft's Chief Product Officer, Panos Panay, demonstrated how Duo can do everything you'd expect from a modern smartphone and tablet.įor instance, you can use it to play with apps and make calls, and it can even fit in your pocket.Squirrel_widget_333797 What is Surface Duo? Surface Duo is an exciting device in concept, but the reviews have been mixed - although Time called it 'one of the best inventions of 2020' - so should you be excited about one now the global roll-out has begun? As such it's a different proposition to existing foldable phones and straight-up mini-tablets, such as the iPad mini. The Duo is a dual-screen, foldable Android-based device. The Microsoft Surface Duo is that device and Microsoft did suggest to Pocket-lint it has been in development for quite some time. Microsoft had been rumoured to be working on a Surface Phone - since at least 2016.

This is everything you need to know about the phone-tablet hybrid - a 'Surface Phone' in all but name.

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