References to "Factory OS Andromeda Device" in latest Windows 10 SDK suggests Surface Phone work is progressing

While Microsoft has teased a new class of devices at Build 2018 it is never clear what the status of Microsoft’s rumoured dual-screen “Surface Phone” project is, which until its actual release will be in the uncertain quantum state of being both alive and dead.

Today, courtesy of WalkingCat, we have some more indication that Microsoft is still actively developing the device, and may be progressing to a final version of the hardware internally.

Taken from the just-released Windows 10 17672 SDK, the SDK contains a number of clues to an Andromeda device and Andromeda OS.

https://twitter.com/h0x0d/status/999170901043118080

It appears the Andromeda OS will support both ARM and x86, while the actual Andromeda Device will be an ARM device.

The SDK also references WindowsCoreOS (a new base OS for Windows) and Polaris, the desktop shell that will run on top of that.

https://twitter.com/h0x0d/status/999172009085960192

Microsoft’s rumoured Surface Phone is said to be a pen-centric device whose main application will be a version of OneNote, but, unlike the Courier, the device will have access to regular applications and we assume also a full desktop. It is likely to be a rather expensive always connected device and it is not clear if it will be able to actually make phone calls or not, though it seems more likely that this will be the case than not.

See our other reporting on the rather mythical device here.