Third-generation Duo: no gaps in screen, external display, and looks nothing like 'Duo'

Microsoft is reportedly developing a new Surface Duo device that is far from the looks of the current Duos. According to a report, instead of a traditional double-display screen, the Redmond company is now pushing for one foldable internal display with an external cover screen. And while this plan sounds good as the gap splitting the screen is now removed, it now blurs the original concept of Duo devices that makes them “Duo.” (via Windows Central)

This revelation is far from the previous rumors claiming that the next Duo will have a 360-degree hinge, allowing the device to be folded to make the internal screens external. According to Windows Central’s Zac Bowden, the next Duo will have a 180-degree hinge, though it will get an additional screen to make the external display possible. And although the flawless, gapless screen now makes the name “Duo” questionable for this new device, sources said that the handheld is still treated as the third-generation of Duo internally.

The report added that the change in the display of the next Duo came after the “original” finalized plan for Surface Duo 3 was discarded. In the scrapped design described, Duo 3 sounded nothing significantly different from the present Duos. It was supposed to get bigger edge-to-edge screens and other improvements and was set to ship by the end of 2023. However, the team shifted the plan to pursue a “true” foldable design, which changed everything. This includes the shipping window for the device, which sources said is still unclear.

On the other hand, while this is big news for Duo fans everywhere, the screen concept is nothing new. As Bowden notes in the report, the next Duo can be compared to the present foldable devices currently available in the market: the Vivo X Fold and Honor Magic Vs. Despite this, Microsoft seems determined to make its Android hardware products stand out from its competitors. In the report, sources added that there is an internal software effort called “Perfect Together” aimed at creating an ecosystem that will produce a smoother link between Windows computers and Microsoft Android devices similar to Apple’s iPhone and Mac.

Apparently, the plan to make this Apple-like ecosystem between PCs and phones could be hard to achieve with limited options for the latter. With this, the report added that Microsoft is also working on expanding its Android products in different form factors, including a conventional slab design. This is nothing huge since there are already a lot of one-screen smartphone choices out there, but the report said it would be Microsoft’s new strategy to uplift the name of Duos and make them an “enthusiast product.”

What are your thoughts about this? Will this new design help boost the charm of the next Surface Duo? Most of all, will this new ‘strategy’ work for Microsoft’s Android efforts?