Smartphone "Surface Duo": Now it should work at Microsoft

So far, the excursions into the smartphone business have not been a success story for the software giant Microsoft. The adventure with Nokia was a billion dollar grave and cost thousands of jobs. Now the group is making a new attempt.

Microsoft is making a new foray into the wireless business. The technology group’s new Android smartphone, called "Surface Duo", has two displays, each with a 5.6-inch diagonal, which can be opened to form a large screen. In contrast to similar devices from Samsung and Huawei, the display itself cannot be folded, but is divided into two parts. The device can be pre-ordered in the USA, announced Microsoft in Redmond. The company did not say whether and when the device will be offered outside the United States.

For years Microsoft had tried to compete with the iPhone from Apple and successful Android smartphones with its own Windows Phone operating system. That didn't go very well, though. In 2013, Microsoft bought Nokia's cell phone business in an attempt to anchor Windows Phone in the market. The acquisition turned into a financial disaster running into billions, thousands of employees lost their jobs. The Nokia investment was completely written off with the exit from the smartphone market.

Microsoft now relies on Android and its Microsoft 365 subscription offer, which consists of cloud services and a software package. "The Surface Duo combines the power of Microsoft 365 with the entire ecosystem of mobile Android applications in one device with two screens that you can take with you anywhere," said Product Manager Panos Panay.

The 250 gram surface duo works with a chip based on technology from semiconductor designer ARM, a Snapdragon 855 Mobile from Qualcomm. Microsoft does not support the fast 5G wireless data transmission and is limited to an LTE cellular modem. When folded, it looks like a somewhat plump iPhone 11 (6.1-inch display), but can be opened to double the size.