Apparently, Microsoft has finally got the message that consumers aren’t really interested in the company’s ridiculously expensive dual-screen Surface Duo smartphone.
According to Windows Central’s sources, a Surface Duo 3 was “finalised” for later this year, and ready to add mod-cons like wireless charging and edge-to-edge screens to the mix.
But it’s reportedly now been cancelled in favour of a “true” foldable design — something that could look a bit like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 with a regular-looking handset turning into a tablet when unfolded.
It’s a bold move, considering A) Microsoft’s complete lack of success in the smartphone space (as anyone unfortunate enough to back the company with a Windows Mobile device will remember) and B) The fact that foldables are a pretty niche market to try and address this with.
But perhaps the only way is up after the Duo failed to set pulses racing, and Window’s Central’s sources say that, for the moment at least, Microsoft is “all in” on becoming a player in the Android space.
That’s probably why the company is also planning some more conventional Android phones, according to the site. Regular ‘slab’ phones certainly sell better, but the market is pretty saturated, and if even companies as established as LG, HTC and Sony struggle to stay relevant, it may be wishful thinking for Microsoft to think that it’s an exception.
Still, the company is at least apparently thinking of ways to differentiate itself from the pack. It’s reportedly working on something dubbed “Perfect Together”, where Microsoft’s take on the Android OS is designed to play nicely with Windows computers, in the same way that Macs and iPhones cooperate.
In theory, that could be a very good thing — assuming that doesn’t simply translate as having Word, Excel and PowerPoint pre-installed with Clippy as an Alexa-style virtual assistant. We shall have to wait and see what Microsoft has up its sleeves in the months and years to come.
