It sounds like Microsoft's vision for a folding Surface device with 2 screens could be dead. Here's what the prototypes are rumored to look like

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It sounds like Microsoft's vision for a folding Surface device with 2 screens could be dead. Here's what the prototypes are rumored to look like

msft andromeda render

David Breyer

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It sounds like the future of Microsoft's long-rumored "Andromeda" Surface device is up in the air.

A Microsoft device codenamed Andromeda, designed to be some sort of folding productivity tablet, has been floating around the internet for some time. Interest in the folding hardware was rekindled recently after a report from The Verge said it could be a "pocketable" Surface device, and that existing prototypes are said to look nearly identical to renders created by designer David Breyer.

Alas, we shouldn't be expecting an Andromeda device any time soon, according to ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley. The Andromeda device's operating system was rumored to be included in an upcoming update for Windows 10, but Foley said that is no longer the case, which casts major doubt on the Andromeda device's viability any time soon.

The renders portray a beautiful and intriguing device with interesting potential. It also wasn't exactly clear what is was meant to be. It looks like a smartphone, but it wasn't designed to be one, according to reports, although it was said to support "telephony," which could mean any data or internet-based calling system like Skype.

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As Foley mentions, Microsoft never mentioned Andromeda to the public, and it sounds like Microsoft is still deciding whether to take the idea to market. At the very least, a 2018 reveal seems firmly out of the question.

Check out the renders that are supposedly identical to prototypes of Microsoft's rumored Andromeda Surface device:

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Microsoft's "Andromeda" was supposedly a folding, pocketable device.

Microsoft's "Andromeda" was supposedly a folding, pocketable device.

Rather than a smartphone, Andromeda was said to be some kind of smartphone companion that could do a lot more. It sounds interesting, but carrying around a second device in addition to your smartphone isn't that appealing.

And it was said to support a stylus, much like Microsoft's Surface laptops and hybrids.

And it was said to support a stylus, much like Microsoft's Surface laptops and hybrids.
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It could have had a 360-degree hinge that would let you pitch the phone like a tent and have the display facing opposite directions.

It could have had a 360-degree hinge that would let you pitch the phone like a tent and have the display facing opposite directions.

A 360-hinge would also have allowed it to be folded flat in both the open and closed position.

A 360-hinge would also have allowed it to be folded flat in both the open and closed position.
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Laying it out flat would have given it tablet-style functionality.

Laying it out flat would have given it tablet-style functionality.

Or it could be configured into a miniature laptop.

Or it could be configured into a miniature laptop.

The Andromeda device was said to run on the ARM architecture — a low-power yet efficient chip design that's capable of basic computer tasks. It was also rumored to only run apps from the Microsoft Store.

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In theory, the inner screen could wrap around the hinged part of the device, which would give you a display strip to show you notifications.

In theory, the inner screen could wrap around the hinged part of the device, which would give you a display strip to show you notifications.
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