Analyst reveals more details about Microsoft's folding Surface and predicts competition from a folding iPad

We reported last week on a credible leak from analyst company IHS Markit who confirmed that Microsoft is working on a dual-screened tablet/laptop hybrid.

He revealed the device will have two 9-inch screens with a 4:3 aspect ratio, will run WCOS (Windows Core OS) with a  dual display UI, will be an always-connected LTE or 5G device powered by 10nm Intel Lakefield processors, and run Android apps.

Today they added further information that the 9-inch Surface displays would have a resolution of 1,440-by-1,920 pixels with a PPI (pixel density) of 267, and that the UI would support “Book Mode.”

The revealed device will hit the market in either Q1 or Q2 2020 and that Microsoft expects to sell 30K to 40K units per month.

They also noted however that Microsoft may also expect some competition from Apple, though not in the near term.

“We think Apple will follow [a] similar Microsoft concept to develop the foldable device with iPad OS and Apple A series processors,” Jeff Lin, Associate Director, Consumer Electronics at IHS Markit, is quoted as saying. According to Lin the Apple device will have a  “MacBook display size,” but will be “for on-the-go” ie a mobile iOS-powered device.

But Lin added that he didn’t foresee Apple having a foldable device anytime “soon” because “Apple needs to solve 5G iPhone development issue for [the] 2020 new iPhone launch first.” The folding iPad will possibly also include 5G support.

IHS’s information is based on “supply chain info.”

Microsoft has however earlier showed of their folding tablet to staff internally and our own sources had earlier told us the device would have a dual-pane rather than flexible screen and have a keyboard overlay accessory to make text entry easier. They also said that while the device will run Windows Core OS it will still also offer support for Win32 apps such as Office.

Do the details make the Microsoft device more attractive to our readers or will you wait for the even more vague Apple device? Let us know below.

Via Windowsarea