Surface Duo unveiled: A folding Surface phone that runs Android

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 is a news writer and apps editor for Windows Central with 11+ years of experience. A Nottingham Trent journalism graduate, Sean has covered the industry’s arc from the Lumia era to the launch of Windows 11 and generative AI. Having started at Thrifter, he uses his expertise in price tracking to help readers find genuine hardware value.

Beyond tech news, Sean is a UK sports media pioneer. In 2017, he became one of the first to stream via smartphone and is an expert in AP Capture systems. A tech-forward coach, he was named 2024 BAFA Youth Coach of the Year. He is focused on using technology—from AI to Clipchamp—to gain a practical edge.