For Microsoft enthusiasts, today might be a rather auspicious day, indeed. Following Panos Panay"s Twitter tease of a dual-screen device with a hinge, we now have another reference to the company"s upcoming Andromeda device via some leaked internal emails.
As per The Verge, correspondence within Microsoft confirms the company is working on a Surface device that is said to be "pocketable". The emails also describe the product as the first in a "new and disruptive" category of devices set to bridge the gap between PCs and phones, reminding us of a statement by Satya Nadella from last year.
The emails continue, "It’s a new pocketable Surface device form factor that brings together innovative new hardware and software experiences to create a truly personal and versatile computing experience." Elsewhere, it is suggested that the device will "blur the lines between mobile and stationary computing".
Another important detail obtained by The Verge is that the display will extend over the length of the front face of the newfangled gadget, and over the hinge when the device is fully open to present a nearly seamless single display, as opposed to two separate displays just held together by a single substrate. The report suggests the final product may be very close to the concept art created by David Breyer, shown above.
Inking and stylus support is also being tested by Microsoft, with telephony capabilities also featuring on, at least, recent prototypes. Whether the device will feature an ARM processor or an Intel chip is as yet unclear.
After Microsoft"s launch sometime this year, the company is also expecting its OEM partners to bring their own products inspired by Microsoft"s example, similar to the flood of 2-in-1s following the Surface Pro. Intel has already provided reference designs extending the foldable form factor to larger devices, and Asus as well as Dell have announced similar products as well.
Source: The Verge | Images via David Breyer