14 DAY TRIAL // The next trend in the hardware world appears to be the dual-screen laptop form factor, which would essentially allow a device to have different purposes depending on the position and angle of the displays.
Intel itself has showcased at Computex earlier this month a concept envisioning how the whole thing could work, only that in the company’s own vision, the dual-screen PC prototype doesn’t necessarily combine two similar displays.
The so-called Tiger Rapids uses a 7.9-inch LCD display powered by Windows 10, while the other screen is a low-energy e-ink panel that allows users to write and draw just like on a piece of paper. The two displays are connected to each other with a new hinge design that allows for the form factor to change on the go.
Microsoft launching own model in the fall?
A similar idea is believed to be in the works at Microsoft as well. Many call this project the “Surface Phone,” while others say it’s currently codenamed “Andromeda.” Regardless of the name, this product is likely to be Microsoft’s next mobile device, and while it won’t be a phone per se, it’s likely to be built to offer maximum mobility.
There have been a lot of rumors regarding this new Microsoft project, and while patents discovered in the last few months more or less confirmed its existence, at least in its early days, very little is known as to when the software giant could take the wraps off it.
Intel believes that dual-screen devices would see daylight this year, and its own concept could launch by December. Several other companies could join the party in 2018 as well, and while Microsoft’s name isn’t specifically mentioned, there’s no doubt the Redmond-based firm doesn’t want to be late to the party.
Time will tell if Microsoft is indeed ready to unveil this type of device, but in most of the cases, the company was seeking a strategy where it pioneered a new form factor, only for partners to then come to the market with similar products. If this is the case this time as well, expect the new Microsoft dual-screen model to go live sometime in the fall.