The Surface Duo may be a year from release but we’re already seeing hints that the Microsoft “foldable” could look a little different at launch.
It is rare for a smartphone to ship out in a single colour and without a rear camera, so it won’t be all that surprising to hear that Microsoft’s mobile alternative to the Surface Neo could be coming in a range of colours and with a camera built into the back.
On October 2, CPO of Microsoft Panos Panay paraded across stage at the Microsoft Surface event with an off-white version of the Surface Duo and announced that the company would be releasing the Android-born device at the end of next year. However, it looks as though other colour options could be in store for Surface fans.
Black #SurfaceDuo detected! @MichaelGillett @zacbowden pic.twitter.com/WB5eMgbgvL
— Oleg S. (@Galayder) October 7, 2019
Related: Surface Duo vs Surface Neo
Twitter user @gayalder spotted a black Surface Duo device at the event, while YouTuber Marques Brownlee caught Panay himself trying out a black version of the device with a circle marking the spot where an undisclosed camera module could live.
Image: OnMSFT / Marques Brownlee
According to OnMSFT, over the past 120 hours, Panay and his team of execs have repeatedly reiterated that the hardware for the Duo is locked in and will probably not change over the next year. However, Microsoft is currently in the process of attracting developers to create apps for the device so it makes sense that the company wouldn’t want to project any uncertainty onto the hardware itself.
Related: Surface Pro 7: Release date, price, specs and all you need to know about the new 2-in-1
Beneath the hood, The Surface Duo runs on a custom Snapdragon 855 chipset. However – as we’ve pointed out in the past – it seems a little premature for the company to confirm this as the SoC will surely be outdated by the holiday 2020 launch date, so we could see the Duo get an upgraded chipset yet.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
