Microsoft acquires the Surface Duo development team from Movial

The development of the Surface Duo has been progressing rather smoothly, especially compared to the near cancelled Surface Neo, and now we know why.

It turns out when Microsoft abandoned the idea of running the Andromeda strain of Windows Core OS on the Surface Duo they hired a development team from Movial, a global software engineering and design services company specializing in mobile and embedded devices, to shove Android onto the device.

With the device nearing launch and the work nearly complete, Microsoft has now decided to hire away the development team for the device from Movial and bring them inhouse.

Regarding the transaction, a Movial spokesperson said:

This transaction involves people in Movial operations in Romania, Taiwan and the United States. Movial will continue operating as an independent company going forward, continuing to provide software engineering and design services. The transaction enables Movial to focus efforts on some key competency areas, such as cyber security. In the short term majority of our remaining staff will be located in Helsinki, Finland but we are also hiring in other locations.

The new internal team will manage further development, update and support of the device post-launch, and will also work on the purported Surface Duo 2, which is reportedly in early development.

Of course, we have seen something similar to this before, though on a much larger scale, with the acquisition of Nokia’s smartphone division.

The Surface Duo is expected to launch in the near future, with Microsoft reportedly trying to beat the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 to market. Given the comparative lack of specs (such as lacking a rear camera, 5G, Wireless Charging or even NFC), and the expected premium price, I would suggest the new team save their new-found riches and continue sharpening their CVs.

via the WC