Surface Duo unveiled: A folding Surface phone that runs Android

Microsoft Surface Duo
Microsoft Surface Duo (Image credit: Microsoft)

What you need to know

  • Microsoft unveiled a folding Surface phone that runs Android at the October Surface event.
  • The device looks similar to the Surface Pro X but with a smaller form factor.
  • The two screens can run apps side by side to improve productivity.

The Surface Duo surprised everyone at the October Surface event. Despite potentially the most leaks leading up to any Surface event ever, viewers and reporters were caught off guard by a folding Surface phone that runs Android apps. It combines the hardware design of the Surface team with the Google Play Store and all the apps that come with it.

The Surface Duo features two 5.6" displays joined by a 360-degree hinge.

As pointed out by Panos Panay, the phone runs "every single app" in the Android ecoystem. Panay highlighted that this phone is pushing the ecosystem forward.

The device will be available in the holiday season of 2020.

Here's everything Microsoft announced at its Surface 2019 event

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.