Microsoft's dual-screened smartphone to be launched soon
Microsoft is poised to launch its novel dual-screened smartphone, the Surface Duo, sometime soon. The Android-powered device has received certifications from the FCC and Bluetooth SIG, suggesting it will go official in the coming weeks. For the uninitiated, the Surface Duo was unveiled last year in October alongside the new Surface laptops, Surface Neo dual-screen tablet, and Surface Earbuds.
Surface Duo: At a glance
Microsoft's Surface Duo is essentially a phablet (a phone-cum-tablet) but fairly flexible. It features a dual-screen form-factor wherein two 5.6-inch screens are separated by a 360-degree hinge. In a semi-open form, you can peek at notifications, or open all the way to stack the screens together like a tablet or fold the screen over one another to use it as an e-reader.
Under the hood
Microsoft has not revealed the hardware specifications of the Surface Duo. However, previous leaks have suggested that it will pack a Snapdragon 855 chipset, 6GB of RAM, and up to 256GB of storage. Moreover, it will boot Android OS out-of-the-box but the version is unclear.
'Peeking' at notifications and call alerts
Since the Surface Duo lacks an external display, you will have to open the device each time you want to check notifications and call alerts. However, to offer a hassle-free experience, Microsoft is likely to offer a custom software feature (Peek?) that will let you preview notifications, check call alerts, and glance through other details by opening the device just slightly.
Here is a demo of 'Peek'
Pricing and availability
At present, there is no word on the pricing and availability of the Surface Duo. However, given the device has received key certifications, we can expect it to be released in the coming weeks. Lastly, it should be priced at around $900 (Rs. 67,000).
