Poll: Should Microsoft bring back Surface Neo as a single-screen foldable?

Surface Neo unveiling
(Image credit: Future)

What you need to know

  • 1,000 days have past since Microsoft first unveiled the Surface Neo.
  • The Surface Neo is officially postponed, but reports state that the initial version of the device is dead.
  • Microsoft may decide to create a Surface Neo with a single folding screen, though that's merely speculation.

Microsoft's Surface Neo was initially unveiled over 1,000 days ago. The dual-screen foldable PC never saw the light of day, however, as it was officially postponed, along with Windows 10X. While not confirmed by Microsoft, our senior editor Zac Bowden's sources state that the initial iteration of the Surface Neo is dead. 

Before we dive further into the topic, make sure to check out our forum thread on the topic on our official Discord.

"Microsoft’s official word on the status of Surface Neo is that the product has been postponed, but my sources tell me that the Surface Neo that was announced is dead and will never ship," said Bowden. "That vision, with an Intel Lakefield chip and two 9-inch displays in that exact chassis is dead, which honestly shouldn’t come as much of a surprise at this point."

As is always the case, plans can change and old ideas can be brought back to life. One possibility is that Microsoft could bring back the Surface Neo, but as a single-screen foldable PC. We'd like to know if you'd like to see Microsoft bring back the Neo as a foldable with a single display.

Microsoft's patent application for a foldable display

Microsoft patent for a folding display with a 360-degree hinge. (Image credit: USPTO)

Foldable screens are an emerging technology in the PC space. Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Fold gave us the first glimpse of what a folding could look like.

Back in May, our executive editor Daniel Rubino took a look at a Microsoft patent for a device with a folding display that could flip around into different postures. The 360-degree hinge would let someone use a device in tent mode, as a single large display, or flipped around to a smaller display. While many speculated that the hinge in the patent could be used in an upcoming Surface Duo, which is still a possibility, the display tech could also be used to create a folding Surface Neo.

Would you want such a device? Let us know in the poll above. As a reminder, comments are temporarily unavailable on Windows Central. If you'd like to share your thoughts, please reach out to me on Twitter or hop on over to our official Discord channel.

Sean Endicott
News Writer and apps editor

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.