As the dual-screen Surface Duo approaches launch, Microsoft has once again updated its Android offering, and this time it could benefit all foldable Android devices.
Microsoft Product Director Panos Panay has a Surface Duo at an event on Wednesday, October 2, … [+]
It should come as no surprise that Microsoft uses its own Microsoft Launcher as the foundation for the Surface Duo interface. Microsoft has not only been updating and refining this powerful app for many years, but it allows the key feature of the Surface Duo, dual displays, to be easily integrated into the launcher. Latest Windows reports:
“Microsoft Launcher will be the soul of Surface Duo, and the company recently implemented a new landscape mode in Microsoft Launcher, which could enhance the tablet experience and allow Surface Duo to take advantage of its dual-screen property.”
“Microsoft is working on another new feature called ‘app pools’, which would be very similar to the Samsung App Pair line in Galaxy and Note.”
One of the expected features is the ability to launch multiple applications with a single touch, the aforementioned group of applications, which would launch multiple applications in the multi-screen format that will typify the Surface Duo. That could be opening a traffic map and your journal, Instagram and your photo gallery, OneNote and email, or whatever combination works for you.
Unlike the confirmations that Microsoft has made to the Android project, these adjustments are to its own code. The Launcher is available as a free download for any Android device. Assuming other dual-screen Android hardware will be released, the launcher should work with those devices, and if they don’t, you can be sure that Microsoft will work on an update pretty quickly.
Although there is nothing stopping Microsoft from transferring these features to the Android Open Sounce project, unlike confirmations regarding the Chromium web browser, most manufacturers use their own UI layer and launcher on their phones, or use Android. One that uses Google’s own launcher. It is one of the reasons why Microsoft’s own launcher has been an interesting project to follow. Not only does it give Microsoft’s cloud a place on Android (with more than ten million downloads, i.e. many home screens), but it has given Microsoft a lot of experience and feedback on how people use their Android devices. .
These lessons will undoubtedly be reflected in the Surface Duo. The dual-screen Android device has been marketed as it will go on sale in “the 2020 holidays”, but there are some signs that it could launch in the next four to six weeks.
Now read more about Surface Duo release dates …
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