14 DAY TRIAL // Last year, Microsoft announced the Surface Neo and Surface Duo, the company’s very own dual-screen devices supposed to serve as pioneers of a new form factor that pushes Windows even more beyond the traditional desktop.
At that point, Microsoft promised several partners would follow in its footsteps, and this week at CES, we finally get a closer look at who’s ready to invest in this new product category.
Dell is one of the companies apparently betting big on dual-screen and foldable devices, and the so-called Concept Ori and Concept Duet provide us with an early glimpse into its long-term plans in this market.
Concept Ori is Dell’s foldable device that comes with mysterious specs, as the company avoided to share any specifics simply because the work on this project is still in its early days. However, Concept Ori appears to be based on a traditional foldable device recipe, with one large screen that folds, creating two separate screens, which can most likely be used individually or together for increased screen estate.
Windows 10 Pro
Concept Duet, on the other hand, looks and feels like Microsoft’s Surface Neo, so it’s a dual-screen device that appears to push the laptop form factor beyond the current version.
Duet features two different 13.4-inch FHD displays and supports multiple form factors, as you can see in the press photos that Dell provided to us.
Very interesting is that Dell appears to have been inspired by the dual-screen concepts that have made the rounds in the last couple of years on several occasions. For example, Duet comes with a standalone keyboard that can be placed at the bottom of one of the screens, technically allowing one display to act as a keyboard and touchpad, converting the device into a more traditional laptop.
Both devices appear to run Windows 10 Pro rather than Windows 10X, Microsoft’s operating system specifically built for dual-screen and foldable devices. However, it’s important to keep in mind these are still concepts for now and anything can change by the time the go-ahead for the production versions is given.
Of course, Dell hasn’t provided an ETA, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the company launches a foldable or dual-screen model shortly after Microsoft unveils the Surface Neo and Surface Duo later this year.
