Microsoft’s Dual-Screen Surface Duo smartphone will launch in September

Microsoft has confirmed that it’s Surface Duo Dual-Screen Smartphone will launch on September 10th for $1399, with pre-orders starting today in the US.  

The Surface Duo is Microsoft’s first Android-powered smartphone, which utilises custom modifications to the OS that enable dual-screen utilisation. This change enables increased productivity and delivers a true multi-screen experience for smartphone users. 

The Surface Duo features a Snapdragon 855 SOC, 6GB of RAM and up to 256GB of storage. The phone also features dual 1800×1350 screens with a 4:3 aspect ratio, which can combine into a 2700×1800 (3:2) workspace, albeit with a bevel in-between both screens. 

Given the folding nature of the device, the Surface Duo only requires a single camera, which can be used for photography, video calls and more. The camera is 11-megapixel f/2.0 model and features a “super zoom” of up to 7x and the ability to record both 4K and 1080p video at 30 FPS and 60 FPS. 

The purpose of the Surface Duo is to enable increased productivity on the go and to expand Microsoft’s hardware ecosystem into smartphones once again. This device will expand Microsoft’s already popular Surface line, and help increase the versatility of Android devices. 

As an Android device, the Surface Duo can operate any Android application without any modifications. This mitigates one of the major downsides of Microsoft’s Windows Mobile OS, which lacked app support. Microsoft has already tweaked its Android apps to take full advantage of the Surface Duo’s unique feature set, and Amazon has worked to make its Kindle app provide a more book-like experience across the device’s two screens.  

Starting today, pre-orders for Microsoft’s Surface Duo are available from the Microsoft Store, AT&R and Best buy.