Why Did Microsoft Make the Surface Neo & Surface Duo?

The Surface Neo and Surface Duo are two gaming changing devices from Microsoft. While it looks like Microsoft is trying to replace your smartphone, there not at all. They are trying to push for the next form factor that splits the difference between tablets and laptops.

The Surface Neo is aimed more for the split between tablets and smartphones. The Surface Neo comes with dual 9-inch displays with a hinge in the center that allows you to flip the devices 360 degrees. A Surface pen that attaches to the outside and attachable flip-up keyboard that splits the 2nd display in half giving you physical keyboard and quick accesses to different items just above it. This device will run a new version of Windows called Windows 10 X made specifically for dual-screen devices.

The Surface Neo is more of that tablet/smartphone split with dual 5.6-inch displays and a 360-degree hinge. This run android with a Microsoft UI on top of it. Microsoft is working with Google to bring the best of android and Microsoft together on the duo.

This isn’t the first time we’ve gone around the block well…hinge in this case

We’ve seen the dual-screen and foldable devices make the forefront this year with the Galaxy Fold and the Huawei Mate X. I feel the dual-screen hinge design is going to be a better way to introduce this concept, especially with productivity and also the issue we have seen crop up with foldable displays. We’ve also seen devices like the Kyocera Echo and the ZTX Axo M try this with little fanfare after the initial launch.

We won’t see these new Surface devices until holiday 2020, which will work in Microsoft’s favor to give them time to get developers on board and also take any initial feedback about what we’ve seen so far and continue to improve. I’m sure they will try to find a way to add an external camera and display to it. The look will most likely change up some by the time they are released.

There is a lot of skepticism around both the Surface Neo and Duo, and I’m sure it mostly because this is a Microsoft product. If this were Apple, there would be a lot more focus on the positives, and the sentiment would be different. Another device was doubted when it entered the market about 10 years ago, and it ended up changing the entire smartphone landscape. That phone was the Galaxy Note.

My question to you is: Do you think foldable or hinge is a better form factor for multiscreen devices?