Microsoft Reportedly Set to Bring Windows-Based Foldable, Dual-Screen Devices
Microsoft is supposedly working on a second dual-screen device that it wants to bring to market. No, not Andromeda — that’s the dual-screen smartphone-sized hardware platform. This device, codenamed Centaurus, runs Windows Core OS and reportedly bears some resemblance to Microsoft’s Courier project from 2010.
Microsoft is pushing the idea of this device as a “dual screen 2-in-1” and the hardware is powered by Intel.
Windows Central has more details on the writeup, and maybe I’m just blind to potential innovation in this space, but I’m really struggling to understand how this product is ever going to make sense to anyone. Windows 10 is not built from the ground up to look great on small devices.
Maybe Microsoft can fix this. Maybe it treats the other display as equivalent to a second desktop, allowing content to be pinned there, while the first screen is doing its own thing. And yes, I can imagine a product where I use a special pen to write on one side of the screen and read data off the other side.
According to a new report, the Redmond giant wants to make Windows adaptable to changing form factors. The company sees hybrid dual-screen devices and foldable hardware as lucrative areas for investment for Windows as well as its Surface lineup. Alongside its mysterious dual-screen device known as Andromeda, Microsoft is also collaborating with PC makers to develop 2-in-1 devices.
Most of this work is concentrated on Microsoft’s Composable Shell (C-Shell) and Windows Core OS, which will unify Windows across various devices.
Earlier this week, the first Windows 10 build made for foldable devices was spotted, which means work has already begun. This is hardly surprising as the company has been steadily integrating early Windows 10 builds with its dual-screen features in recent months.
The Windows Core OS has only been seen on the Surface Hub 2 so far, and apparently, the upcoming HoloLens 2 will also run it.
In the coming months, we can see a range of dual-screen hybrid devices from various PC makers, some of which might be powered by ARM chips. Moreover, a lot of OEMs are also going to release foldable smartphones this year, including Huawei and OPPO.
In short, we might see a paradigm shift in the industry in 2019. Microsoft was earlier reported to launch a redesigned Surface Pro for this year, and 2019 might be the year when the company finally embraces the Type-C USB interface.
