14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft is working on new Surface products, either brand-new devices or updates to the existing models, and according to a recent leak, they’re codenamed Carmel, Libra, and Andromeda.
A report from Thurrott reveals that Microsoft’s next Surface Pro, which is tentatively referred to as Surface Pro 6, is internally known as Carmel. There are no details as to when it could see daylight, but the cited source says it “may not arrive as soon as many have hoped” given that the company has only recently introduced the Surface Pro with LTE.
Microsoft Surface Libra is the codename for a low-cost tablet that could be specifically aimed at the education market. This time, the device is expected to go live by the end of the year, though no other specifics are available for the time being.
Surface Libra could launch with an ARM chip and run Windows 10 on ARM, as Microsoft could also try to pioneer its work on this new platform that has until now received the support of a limited set of OEMs.
Andromeda
Surface Andromeda is a project that we’ve already heard about and is Microsoft’s new mobile device that could land in the form of a note-taking product with two screens. Similar to an approach showcased by Intel’s Tiger Rapid concept earlier this month as Computex, Microsoft’s new Andromeda isn’t a phone, as some people call it, but a device based on a completely new design, with two foldable displays connected to each other with a hinge.
This design allows for multiple form factors, including laptop and tablet, depending on the position and the angle of the displays. When flat, the tablet mode increases the screen estate, with the hinge supposed to create virtually no space between the screens.
Andromeda could also launch before the end of the year, though once again, these projects are yet to be confirmed and everything could change overnight. The cited source indicates that all plans have been created by outgoing Windows chief Terry Myerson, so the new leadership team could decide one or several of these models aren’t worth the resources and cancel them before launch.