Surface Duo? What about 'Solo'? This concept shows a single-screen phone from Microsoft

Surface Solo Concept
Surface Solo Concept (Image credit: Jonas Daehnert)

What you need to know

  • A concept of a Surface Solo was recently shared online.
  • The concept shows off what a single-screen Surface phone could look like.
  • The concept mixes design cues from other Surface devices and popular smartphones.

Microsoft's Surface Duo launched recently, bringing its unique form factor and two screens to the masses. While the Surface Duo is one of the most anticipated Microsoft devices in years, one artist wondered what a single-screen phone from Microsoft would look like. Jonas Daehnert, also known on Twitter as @PhoneDesigner just shared a concept of a hypothetical device called the Surface Solo.

The Surface Duo can clip one screen around and be used while utilizing a single screen, but its aspect ratio makes it wider than normal "candy bar" phones. Daehnert's design features a more traditional aspect ratio for a single screen and a phone that takes design cues from other Microsoft devices.

The buttons on the side of the concept look similar to those of other Surface devices, and the hypothetical device comes in Surface grey. It has a single camera on the back and a punch-hole camera on the front.

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Generally speaking, Microsoft's Surface devices push boundaries, innovate categories, or create a new category of devices. The Surface Pro helped popularize the now ubiquitous 2-in-1 category, the Surface Duo folds two screens around a unique hinge, and the Surface Studio brings a floating display to an all-in-one. That being said, there are some Surface devices that have more traditional factors, such as the Surface Laptop line.

A single-screen Surface phone seems unlikely at this point, but it's fun to think about what one would look like.

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Sean Endicott
News Writer

Sean Endicott is a News Writer at Windows Central, where he covers Windows 11, Surface hardware, Microsoft 365, AI, apps, and the broader PC ecosystem. Since joining the site in 2017, he has written well over a thousand articles across the Microsoft landscape, covering breaking news, analysis, and feature reporting.

He writes Windows Wrap, a weekly column covering the biggest stories in Windows and the PC industry, and what they mean for the platform going forward.

Before joining Windows Central full-time, Sean worked in journalism and media production after earning a First Class degree in Broadcast Journalism from Nottingham Trent University. Outside of tech, he is an award-winning American football coach based in Nottingham, England, and was named BAFCA Youth Coach of the Year in 2024.