- Remember Windows Phone from way back when?
Well Microsoft is kind of getting back into
making smartphones.
This is Surface Duo,
and it runs Android.
Not Windows or Windows Phone.
That's right.
Microsoft is making a Surface phone with Android.
If that sounds surprising,
it's because it really is.
But we'll get back into the Android side
in a minute.
Duo is part of two new futuristic
dual-screen devices that Microsoft announced today.
And they're coming in Holiday 2020.
Surface Duo has two 5.6 inch displays
that fold out into an 8.3 inch device overall.
And it's just 4.8 millimeters thin.
It folds like many two-in-one laptops
thanks to a 360 degrees hinge.
And it's designed to get more done on the go.
It looks tiny for this type of device,
and it felt kind of like a Galaxy Note
in my pocket.
Now, I wasn't allowed to play around
with the software on this device,
but it looks and feels like a tiny pocket tablet
that's also a phone.
The difference between this
and any other Android phone,
except maybe the Galaxy Fold,
is visually obvious.
But Microsoft thinks this is part of
a new category of devices
that allow people to do a lot more
with tablets and phones than they do today.
As part of this idea,
Microsoft also announced a Surface Neo device today.
Which has two larger 9 inch displays.
The Duo and the Neo
share a very similar design,
but they don't share a common operating system.
Neo, the larger dual-screen device,
runs Windows 10 X,
and has all your familiar desktop and tablet apps.
The reason this isn't running Windows Phone
is because Microsoft gave up on that
operating system years ago,
when it couldn't convince developers
to create apps for it's devices.
Now we sat down with
Microsoft's Chief Product Officer,
Panos Panay,
on the Vergecast this week,
to talk about why Microsoft chose Android this time
for the Surface Duo.
- [Panay] Well because,
those are the apps you want.
I don't know how to answer it
differently for you.
Because there's hundreds of thousands of apps
and you want them.
Asati and I talked about it,
it's about meeting our customers where they are.
And I don't think the, you know,
the mobile application platform's
going anywhere any time soon,
you need the apps.
- So you'll get the apps you'd expect
from a phone inside the dual-screen device,
but how is this different from any other
smartphone?
I mean it obviously looks different.
And the main idea is making use
of these two displays
in ways we're only starting to see
other Android phone makers explore.
You could run a game on one side,
and a game pad on the other,
or multi-task by dragging and dropping content
between apps.
Microsoft hasn't thought of everything you'd do
with the Surface Duo just yet,
but that's why it's announcing it now
so developers can fill in the gaps.
They're really aiming to introduce
a new form factor here,
and a way for a device to adjust itself on the go,
no matter the task.
We've seen foldable devices
from Huawei and Samsung,
but the Duo has two separate displays
that are made of glass,
rather than foldable plastic.
Which given the issues with Samsung's Galaxy Fold,
that might be a good choice right now.
Microsoft has been working on this hardware
for three years,
and Panos Panay tells us that
this device won't change much
by the time it debuts late next year.
The real key question will be whether
Android app developers
create the apps and experiences that really
take advantage of this dual-screen device.
And whether consumers want this type of hardware
in a phone form factor in the first place.
That's why Microsoft also has its largest
Surface Neo device running Windows.
And it really feels like the company
wants to offer a Surface
at every shape and size.
Microsoft also seems to be implying
that the operating system really
doesn't matter for Surface devices anymore.
And it's willing to partner with Google and others
to offer what makes sense.
So does that means that Android is the future
for Microsoft?
- [Panay] (clears throat) No no no no no no.
You want to give customers what they want
in the form factor that they're using.
We've learned this, you know,
the right operating system on the wrong product
or the other way around, pick your words,
but what's the right operating system
for the form factor?
And in this case,
in mobile devices, Android's the obvious choice.
But anything above that,
Windows is everything.
Superior for me.
- So, will the Surface Duo and the Surface Neo
combine in the future?
Will there be a smartphone that turns into a tablet,
that then turns into a laptop,
then you dock and turns into a real PC?
We're years away from anything even
getting close to that.
But it opens up the questions
about where this dual-screen
and foldable hardware is going exactly.
And they're really hard questions to answer
right now.
Microsoft will now need to convince
app developers and consumers that these
dual-screen devices are truly the new
device category that we've all been waiting for.
Wherever things end up,
it looks like Microsoft want to be ready
at every point with Surface.
You want a phone that's a little bit
more than a phone that has an extra display?
Surface Duo.
You want a tablet that transforms into a laptop?
Surface Neo or Surface Pro.
Microsoft is covering every hardware base here,
and it's leaving it up to you
to decide what device you actually need.
- [Panay] You know, I think like anything,
look at the product you think is
most interesting to you and where you
think you can be more creative,
that's what I would push.
And I think this products gonna be there
next year.
Not in a hurry,
you know, hang out.
Take photos or do whatever it is you do
on your phone today for a little bit longer
and then, see if we can convince you
that you can be more creative on this product.
- It's been a crazy day of Surface devices
and there's a bunch of hands-on videos
you should check out on our YouTube channel.
Be sure to also definitely check out the Vergecast,
'cause it has the full interview with Panos Panay,
and you don't wanna miss it.