Microsoft has been working on a new
mysterious Surface device; codenamed Andromeda for at least two years. Though
the device appeared in patents, reports, and in operating system references
multiple times and will include a dual-display design, it never saw the day in
the light. According to a Microsoft internal document, the device is said to be
a pocketable Surface device.
Microsoft describes the Andromeda
project as something that it has been quietly incubating internally, and that
will create a “new and disruptive” device category to influence the overall
Surface roadmap. It will also blur the lines between a PC and mobile.
The Andromeda is still under development
and it is said to come with a wraparound display that bridges the gap of the
hinge when it’s fully opened. The company is also experimenting with stylus
input for Andromeda. The prototype device includes styluses and notepad-like
apps to capture notes.
It will come with ARM processors, but
it’s not clear if the company will go with Intel or Qualcomm for a final device.
Sources also warn that the company could pull the plug at any stage. Microsoft is tentatively planning to release
Andromeda in 2018, with follow-up devices in the same series from OEM’s
launching later.
