While many conventional smartphones from major players in the mobile industry have had trouble meeting their typical deadlines and following their normal release schedules due to the coronavirus pandemic, Microsoft’s decidedly unconventional Surface Duo is still (vaguely) slated for a “Holiday 2020” launch.
That’s exactly what the Redmond-based tech giant announced in lieu of a more specific timeline back in October 2019, but although the company has yet to officially revise that promise in either direction, all recent signs seem to point to an earlier commercial debut than October or November 2020. Those include a US certification visit, multiple rumors and predictions from well-connected people and publications, not to mention a long line of social media teasers.
The latest piece of gossip relayed by serial leaker Evan Blass on Twitter could also suggest the Surface Duo is coming sooner than you might have expected, and for the first time, the name of a major US wireless service provider is mentioned in relation to the availability of the groundbreaking dual-screen device.
According to Blass, who is almost never wrong about this type of stuff, Microsoft will join forces with AT&T for the impending release of the Surface Duo. While some sort of a carrier exclusivity deal is not to be ruled out, a subsequent tweet appears to suggest the multitasking-focused handset will see daylight on more than one US mobile network operator in time for the holidays. At the very least, it is possible that multiple carriers will pick up the Surface Duo… eventually.
AT&T’s name, of course, is hardly surprising to hear, given that Ma Bell sells both the Samsung Galaxy Fold and 4G LTE-only Galaxy Z Flip while gearing up to release the latter phone’s 5G-capable version on August 7. The nation’s second-largest cellular company was also the exclusive US carrier for the experimental ZTE Axon M back in the day, basically supporting the foldable movement way before it was cool to do so.
Granted, the Surface Duo is a device like no other before it, pairing two 5.6-inch displays with a revolutionary 360-degree hinge to enable a never-before-seen level of flexibility for its future users.
Unfortunately, its rumored internals don’t match that outstanding design, including a relatively unimpressive RAM count, outdated high-end processor, and no 5G speeds. Then again, that might help Microsoft keep the price point reasonable, possibly undercutting Samsung’s fast-approaching Galaxy Z Fold 2 5G.
Source: Phonearena
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