14 DAY TRIAL // Andromeda is one super-anticipated device that’s yet to see daylight, and according to the most recent speculation, the project was pushed back once again.
The next target for Andromeda, which is Microsoft’s dual-screen device that many refer to as Surface Phone, is 2019, with the company said to be working on finalizing the software supposed to power the device by the spring of the next year.
Software struggles were considered the biggest setback for getting ready Andromeda, and the lack of apps in particular has been defined as the problem that forced Microsoft to push back the device.
The lack of apps has been the main problem that eventually ruined Windows Phone and Windows 10 Mobile, and Microsoft clearly doesn’t want to make the same mistake twice and launch a new device without a powerful app ecosystem to support it.
Expect Andromeda sometime next year
And while Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) were believed to be one way to do this, it looks like Microsoft is also exploring other options, though no specifics are available at this point. WindowsCentral writes that Microsoft has other ideas to help improve apps on Andromeda, but no decision has been made yet, as the company is still in the planning phase.
Recent reports have indicated that Microsoft pushed Andromeda back to the drawing board in order to improve the software side of the project. While the original target was to get the code ready for Windows 10 Redstone 5 due in the fall, this plan has changed and the focus is now on addressing the app situation.
Andromeda, if it ever sees daylight, is expected to be a dual-screen model that would support multiple form factors depending on the orientation of the screen. A hinge connecting the screens would allow the device to convert from laptop to tablet and note-taking model, obviously with support for the Surface Pen and running Windows 10.