14 DAY TRIAL // The highly-anticipated dual-screen Surface has finally been announced today at Microsoft’s Surface event in New York, and as rumored before, the device will actually go on sale in late 2020.
In other words, what we got to see today at the Surface show was just a demo unit, with further refinements to be implemented in the coming months before the official launch.
Called Surface Neo, this new model uses two separate 9-inch displays that are connected to each other by a 360-degree hinge, so it supports both laptop and tablet modes.
Thanks to the two screens, both modes benefit from increasing screen estate, albeit I think that the tablet mode is the one that’s the bigger winner of this new design.
Special keyboard and stylus
When it comes to laptop, Microsoft demonstrated how you can use a special keyboard accessory to convert the Surface Neo into a more productive device. The keyboard attaches to either the bottom or the top part of one of the screens, and the position dictates how the device behaves.
If you place it to the bottom, the top part of the screen can show some handy controls for whatever you do on the screen. If you go for the top, the bottom is converted to a virtual touchpad.
Microsoft Surface Neo is powered by the all-new Windows 10X, a special version of Windows 10 built with dual-screen and foldable devices in mind. The platform comes with all kinds of gimmicks, and given it’s specifically optimized for such displays, apps can be rendered on just one or both displays. Apps can also be moved from one screen to another with a simple drag and drop gesture.
Surface Neo also comes with a so-called Surface Slim Pen, also specifically built for this device, and both the stylus and the keyboard can attach to the device for more portability.
Surface Neo will be powered by Intel Lakefield chips, but the rest of the specs are yet to be revealed, most likely because they are subject to change by the time the device is finalized.
