Could a future Surface Duo feature a built-in kickstand?
A new patent from Microsoft shows how a kickstand could be built into a future Surface Duo.

What you need to know
- A Microsoft patent shows a device similar to the Surface Duo with a kickstand attached to the hinge.
- The kickstand is designed to stay out of the way while you use the device in your hand.
- As with all patents, this design may never appear on a device that's released to the public.
Surface devices and kickstands have a long history. Since the launch of the original Surface Pro, many devices from the Surface family have featured kickstands. It appears that one more Surface device, the Surface Duo, could gain a kickstand somewhat similar to its siblings.
A new patent by Microsoft illustrates and describes a kickstand on a hinged device. The patent doesn't use the word "kickstand." Instead, it refers to an integrated support along the spine of the device. The patent was published on May 27, 2021 and spotted by WindowsUnited.
Part of the patent reads:
In some embodiments, an electronic device includes a first portion, a second portion, a spine, and a support. The second portion is movably connected to the first portion by a hinge. The hinge has a hinge axis, and the spine is connected to the hinge and oriented parallel to the hinge axis. The support is connected to the spine and has a deployed position and a stowed position. The stowed position is abutting the spine and the deployed position is spaced apart from the spine to support the electronic device on a surface.
Regardless of what the patent calls it, it is clearly describing a kickstand. From the side, the support looks even more like a kickstand from a bicycle than the stands on the Surface Pro line.
As is the case with all patents, this kickstand design may never appear in a device that ships to the public. Even if it does come to a future Surface Duo, it may not be the Surface Duo 2.
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Sean Endicott brings nearly a decade of experience covering Microsoft and Windows news to Windows Central. He joined our team in 2017 as an app reviewer and now heads up our day-to-day news coverage. If you have a news tip or an app to review, hit him up at sean.endicott@futurenet.com (opens in new tab).
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No, just no
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The way I'm reading that patent, it seems like it would be much more useful for taking something foldable and turning it into a display that can sit at an angle and possibly be used with an external controller. If you stood up a touch screen device at that angle, you are pretty much taking typing off the table, and I would imaging interacting with the screen would even be a little tricky as your gestures might actually push the device away from you.... but, add a tiny keyboard like the Neo was supposed to have or an Xbox controller and now you've got a nifty little mobile device.
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Looks kind of klugey. A magnetic case or something might be better, like what Lenovo does with its foldable screen laptop.
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So long as Duo is a two screen device, this is unnecessary.
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How so? When you have it opened flat, how do you stand it up?
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Would be fantastic to stand it up vertically while fully open flat.
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Meanwhile Dan/Zac are telling everyone this is a definite no for the Duo 2.
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I know they are basic drawings, but it looks so bad. Those would be snapping off left and right. Just take the glass off the back of one side and have it open like the Surface Pro but long ways.
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Don't see the point in this tbh, the hinge on the duo is sturdy enough to fold it into laptop mode. If i was Microsoft i would be looking at ways of getting windows of some sort onto the duo instead.
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Sean you referenced the original Surface Pro being the original adopter of the kickstand...the original RT was released months prior to the Pro's release.
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I think I would prefer a mini kickstand for landscape mode so the kickstand can be made smaller (/using up less valuable space) and to allow a mini type cover or such.
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I will be really surprised if there is a future Surface Duo...
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Duo? Nah. Neo possibly, but that device might never come...