Redmond might be trying to invent a new product category

Feb 2, 2018 06:21 GMT  ·  By

With Surface hardware, what Microsoft tried to do was invent new product categories, and the original RT model, which was first 2-in-1 device, and the Surface Studio all-in-one PC are living proof that the company managed to do this several times already.

Patents have shown that Microsoft was working on a new mobile device boasting all kinds of innovative features, including foldable screens and an innovative hinge that could enable more than just one form factor.

And by the looks of things, this project, which is currently being known as Andromeda, could be another attempt from Microsoft to invent a new product category, as new findings posted on Twitter by @h0x0d (via WL) indicate.

Judging from these new tidbits of information, which provides us with a closer look at the Windows Composable Shell (CShell), Andromeda could be a mobile device with phone capabilities – keep in mind that mobile doesn’t necessarily mean a smartphone, as it can be anything from tablet to a small PC with the focus on portability.

The ultimate mobile device

Also, while phone capabilities are likely to be offered on Andromeda, it’s not clear how exactly they’re going to be integrated into the device. While adding LTE support is the solution that seems to make the most sense, Microsoft has the resources to introduce phone features using just software, such as Skype for instance.

On the other hand, as @h0x0d says, Andromeda is very unlikely to be “just a phone,” as Microsoft wants to invent a new product category whose main idea could come down to a “HingedDualScreenDevice.” In other words, it could be a device with foldable screens connected to each other with a new hinge and offering more than just a form factor, including the traditional phone approach.

That does sound like something that makes sense for Microsoft, especially because company executives, including CEO Satya Nadella, said on several occasions that the company was looking into building the ultimate mobile device. If this is the approach that this ultimate mobile device is going to embrace is yet to be confirmed, as Microsoft seems to be experimenting with a lot of ideas these days.