Microsoft’s Surface Duo looks like it’s ready to launch

Microsoft has spent the past few weeks teasing the Surface Duo on Twitter, and now it appears that the dual-screen device is ready for launch. Microsoft’s new Android-powered device first appeared on the FCC earlier this week, and today it appeared on the Bluetooth SIG certification page. Devices generally appear on the FCC and Bluetooth charts within just a few weeks of launch.

Recent rumors suggested that the Surface Duo might appear in July, but it is clear that the device is not ready to launch this month. Instead, it seems increasingly likely that Microsoft will launch Surface Duo in the coming weeks.

Sources familiar with Microsoft’s plans say The edge The company had originally planned to focus on Surface Duo and dual-screen devices at Build earlier this year. These plans changed once it became clear that Build would take place virtually due to the pandemic, and Microsoft also delayed its Windows 10X dual-screen plans well beyond 2020.

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

While some developers already have access to dual-screen developer units, Microsoft had planned at one point to bring Surface Duo to developers much earlier. Like many things, the pandemic has impacted Surface Duo launch plans, but we understand that Microsoft still hopes to ship the device in late September.

Adding fuel to Surface Duo launch rumors, phone leaker Evan Blass has also hinted that Surface Duo will appear on the AT&T network in the US Blass generally gets marketing footage and unpublished phone materials for a few weeks or months before launch, which also suggests that the Surface Duo is almost ready to go.

Microsoft has also spent the summer teasing the Surface Duo on Twitter ahead of its launch. Microsoft communications chief Frank Shaw released a photo of the Surface Duo earlier this month, just days after Surface chief Panos Panay mocked the device on Twitter with what appeared to be a new bumper case. . This same case also appeared in a video on LinkedIn with Microsoft executive Brad Anderson last week.

Microsoft first introduced the Surface Duo at a press event in New York City in October, promising a 2020 vacation launch for the device. While the company hasn’t shared official hardware specs yet, leaks have suggested it will include a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor, 6GB of RAM, up to 256GB of storage and will include two 5.6-inch displays.