Microsoft plans to launch a small foldable Surface tablet in the first half of 2020, according to Jeff Lin, an analyst at research firm IHS Markit.

surface go

Microsoft Surface Go

In an email shared with Forbes citing supply chain information, Lin said he expects Microsoft to debut a Surface with dual 9-inch screens featuring a 4:3 aspect ratio.

Perhaps more interestingly, Lin also claims Microsoft's forthcoming next-gen Windows operating system, Windows Core OS, will be able to run Android apps natively. The new Surface will also apparently support Apple's iCloud services in Windows 10.

The device will also reportedly adopt an Intel 10nm Lakefield system-on-a-chip (SOC). Lin believes the dual-screen Surface could arrive as early as the first quarter of 2020, or by the first half of 2020.

Bearing in mind the problems that foldable displays have already presented for Samsung, it will be intriguing to see how Microsoft intends to implement a dynamic dual-display in a foldable tablet design.

Additionally, it's unclear how Microsoft plans to host its own Android App Store separate from the Google Play store, and how that would align with the company's existing Universal Windows Platform, which provides developers with a common app platform on every device that runs Windows 10.

Earlier this year reports began appearing that Microsoft is planning to launch a dual-screen mobile device, codenamed "Centaurus." The company even teased dual-screen Surface hardware in an all hands event for its devices team earlier this month, according to The Verge.

IHS Markit analyst Lin on Sunday also predicted Apple's MacBook plans for later this year, which are said to include a 16-inch MacBook Pro and refreshes for its 13-inch MacBook Pro sans Touch Bar and MacBook Air.

Top Rated Comments

A MacBook lover Avatar
73 months ago
Google and Microsoft need to give up. You will never enter the tablet game with subpar android apps.

Keep on censoring, google.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dukeblue219 Avatar
73 months ago
Still waiting for the day that Google or Microsoft do something enticing enough to make me at least be *kind of* want their hardware.

So far... Nada.
Say what you will but Surfaces are wildly popular with enterprise users in particular. Maybe the USB C iPad or IpadOS will change that at some point but I rarely see anyone using an iPad in a meeting or for working on their lap at a conference. Surface Pros are everywhere, though.

Slightly different markets, I get that, but don't dismiss Microsofts hardware abilities.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Gorms Avatar
73 months ago
Huh, wonder if this had anything to do with Google cancelling their tablets last week?
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
coords Avatar
73 months ago
('https://www.macrumors.com/2019/06/24/microsoft-plans-foldable-surface-runs-android-apps/')


Microsoft plans to launch a small foldable Surface tablet in the first half of 2020, according to Jeff Lin, an analyst at research firm IHS Markit.


Microsoft Surface Go

In an email shared with Forbes ('https://www.forbes.com/sites/brookecrothers/2019/06/23/microsoft-plans-foldable-dual-screen-surface-will-run-android-apps-says-ihs-markit/#4de0579f0b75') citing supply chain information, Lin said he expects Microsoft to debut a Surface with dual 9-inch screens featuring a 4:3 aspect ratio.

Perhaps more interestingly, Lin also claims Microsoft's forthcoming next-gen Windows operating system, Windows Core OS, will be able to run Android apps natively. The new Surface will also apparently support Apple's iCloud services in Windows 10.

The device will also reportedly adopt an Intel 10nm Lakefield system-on-a-chip (SOC). Lin believes the dual-screen Surface could arrive as early as the first quarter of 2020, or by the first half of 2020.

Bearing in mind the problems ('https://www.macrumors.com/2019/05/07/samsung-no-launch-date-galaxy-fold/') that foldable displays have already presented for Samsung, it will be intriguing to see how Microsoft intends to implement a dynamic dual-display in a foldable tablet design.

Additionally, it's unclear how Microsoft plans to host its own Android App Store separate from the Google Play store, and how that would align with the company's existing Universal Windows Platform, which provides developers with a common app platform on every device that runs Windows 10.

Earlier this year reports began appearing ('https://www.windowscentral.com/centaurus') that Microsoft is planning to launch a dual-screen mobile device, codenamed "Centaurus." The company even teased dual-screen Surface hardware in an all hands event for its devices team earlier this month, according to The Verge ('https://www.theverge.com/2019/6/3/18648919/microsoft-surface-dual-screen-centaurus-device-teaser').

IHS Markit analyst Lin on Sunday also predicted Apple's MacBook plans for later this year, which are said to include a 16-inch MacBook Pro ('https://www.macrumors.com/2019/06/24/16-inch-macbook-pro-sept-2019-release-date-rumor/') and refreshes ('https://www.macrumors.com/2019/06/24/macbook-air-macbook-escape-2019-refresh-rumor/') for its 13-inch MacBook Pro sans Touch Bar and MacBook Air.

Article Link: Microsoft Prepping Foldable Dual-Screen Surface Tablet That Runs Android Apps ('https://www.macrumors.com/2019/06/24/microsoft-plans-foldable-surface-runs-android-apps/')
[doublepost=1561372689][/doublepost]This is absolutely hilarious!! Good luck to those poor souls who choose for such a device!!
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
appleguy123 Avatar
73 months ago
I still remember the Courier product idea they had 10 years ago. I wanted that so bad.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
prasand Avatar
73 months ago
@ “Windows Core OS”

Microsoft hitching its trailer to the Android horse makes sense, considering Apple’s move of iOS apps on MacOS. Otherwise, Microsoft wouldn’t have been able to stay relevant in the “Mobile first” future. Doing that Microsoft ensures that Windows and Android will remain ubiquitous, and the significantly larger number of Windows and Android users compared to macOS and iOS ... will be very happy with that integration.

It’s a win-win situation for the world’s most popular OSes, albeit an insecure one. It’ll be interesting to see how Microsoft handles security on this matter.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock Light

iOS 19 Leak Reveals All-New Design

Friday January 17, 2025 2:42 pm PST by
iOS 19 is still around six months away from being announced, but a new leak has allegedly revealed a completely redesigned Camera app. Based on footage it obtained, YouTube channel Front Page Tech shared a video showing what the new Camera app will apparently look like, with the key change being translucent menus for camera controls. Overall, the design of these menus looks similar to...
2024 App Store Awards

Apple Explains Why It Removed TikTok From the App Store in the U.S.

Sunday January 19, 2025 6:58 am PST by
Apple on late Saturday removed TikTok from the App Store in the U.S., and it has now explained why it was required to take this action. Last year, the U.S. passed a law that required Chinese company ByteDance to divest its ownership of TikTok due to potential national security risks, or else the platform would be banned. That law went into effect today, and companies like Apple and Google...
iPhone 17 Air Size Feature

'iPhone 17 Air' With Rear Camera Bar Allegedly Shown in Leaked Photo

Tuesday January 21, 2025 12:46 pm PST by
A leaker known as "Majin Bu" today shared an alleged image of a component for the rumored, ultra-thin "iPhone 17 Air" model. The blurry, pixelated image shows a pair of rear iPhone shells with a pill-shaped, raised camera bar along the top. On the left side of the bar, there is a circular cutout that appears to be for a single rear camera. On the right side of the bar, there appears to be an ...
iPhone SE Dynamic Island Majin Bu

iPhone SE 4 Leak Shows Dynamic Island, Casts Doubt on Rumored 'iPhone 16E' Name

Monday January 20, 2025 9:01 am PST by
A new iPhone SE is widely rumored to launch this year, and the device has potentially been confirmed today by known leaker Evan Blass. In a private social media post, Blass shared an image of what appears to be source code mentioning an iPhone SE (4th Gen), which casts doubt on the alternative "iPhone 16E" name rumored for the device. However, the name in the source code could be a...
iOS 19 Roundup Feature

iOS 19 Rumored to Be Compatible With These iPhones

Saturday January 18, 2025 10:28 am PST by
iOS 19 will not drop support for any iPhone models, according to French website iPhoneSoft.fr. The report cited a source who said iOS 19 will be compatible with any iPhone that can run iOS 18, which would mean the following models: iPhone 16 iPhone 16 Plus iPhone 16 Pro iPhone 16 Pro Max iPhone 15 iPhone 15 Plus iPhone 15 Pro iPhone 15 Pro Max iPhone 14 iPhon...
airtag 4 pack blue

AirTag 2 Launching This Year With These 3 New Features

Sunday January 19, 2025 8:11 am PST by
After a four-year wait, a new AirTag is finally expected to launch in 2025. Below, we recap rumored upgrades for the accessory. A few months ago, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple was aiming to release the AirTag 2 around the middle of 2025. While he did not offer a more specific timeframe, that means the AirTag 2 could be announced by the end of June. The original AirTag was announced...
apple power beats pro 2

Powerbeats Pro 2 Coming Soon: Apple to Announce Them 'Imminently'

Sunday January 19, 2025 8:25 am PST by
In September, Apple said that it would be launching Powerbeats Pro 2 in 2025, and it appears the wireless earbuds are coming very soon. Powerbeats Pro 2 images found in iOS 18 code In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the Powerbeats Pro 2 are "due imminently." In addition to Apple filing the Powerbeats Pro 2 in regulatory databases last month, Gurman said Apple is...
Generic iOS 18

Everything New in iOS 18.3 Beta 3

Thursday January 16, 2025 12:39 pm PST by
Apple provided the third beta of iOS 18.3 to developers today, and while the betas have so far been light on new features, the third beta makes some major changes to Notification Summaries and also tweaks a few other features. Notification Summary Changes Apple made multiple changes to Notification Summaries in response to complaints about inaccurate summaries of news headlines. For...