Officially, it’s Microsoft’s upcoming dual screen Android Phone—it Surface Duo– remains rated for a holiday issue. However, after a new round of leaks and rumors, there is a growing pile of evidence indicating that the launch of the Surface Duo could have happened much earlier.
Last week, longtime Windows enthusiast Paul Thurott posted on Twitter that Microsoft on August 12th virtual briefings for “Microsoft MVPs” regarding the Duo plans, suggesting that Microsoft is already well on its way when it comes to preparing for the Duo’s retail debut. Further, according to a source with whom he speaks Windows Central, Microsoft intends to launch the Surface Duo will ship as early as the week of August 24, months before the 2020 holiday season.
Also for anyone who has been fervently looking for other goodies about the Surface Duo, Microsoft’s head of communications, Frank Shaw, was adapted by Duo fans by leave some photos on Twitter through the spring and summer shows the Surface Duo, with the frequency of these teasers increasing the last few months.
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And If That Wasn’t Enough, published recently, leaker Evan Blass also noted a handful of what appear to be official product versions in a post on Patreon titled “Microsoft Surface Duo for AT&T,” that includes an assortment of imagery with high resolution and a strong hint that the Surface Duo will be directly available from at least one major American carrier.
For anyone who has been following the development of Microsoft’s Surface phone from behind when it’s just a concept called the Microsoft Courier, the earlier-than-expected launch of the Surface Duo is encouraging, as it seems to show that Microsoft has confidence in its first dual-screen device.
In addition, sporting a dual 5.6-inch AMOLED display, the Surface Duo represents a very different approach to giving people larger screens (or at least more screen real estate) compared to something like Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 2, which has 7.6-inch flexible display or even something like the LG V60, which sports a single main screen that can be enlarged via a detachable accessory for second screen.
That said, even though it looks like Microsoft is pushing for a widespread release, the Duo may still be a relatively niche product. This is because, although it is expected that the Duo has solid (though not very flagship level) specs including a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor, 6 GB of RAM, and up to 256GB of storage. Nactive stylus support, dual screen recording, the lack of multiple rear cameras, and a potentially high price tag mean that the Duo may be better suited for business use than serving as someone’s daily driver.
However, if the leaks are real, we should be up for a lot more Surface Duo news to drop by the end of the month, so stay tuned for more info.
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