Microsoft plans to launch a small foldable Surface tablet in the first half of 2020, according to Jeff Lin, an analyst at research firm IHS Markit.

surface go

Microsoft Surface Go

In an email shared with Forbes citing supply chain information, Lin said he expects Microsoft to debut a Surface with dual 9-inch screens featuring a 4:3 aspect ratio.

Perhaps more interestingly, Lin also claims Microsoft's forthcoming next-gen Windows operating system, Windows Core OS, will be able to run Android apps natively. The new Surface will also apparently support Apple's iCloud services in Windows 10.

The device will also reportedly adopt an Intel 10nm Lakefield system-on-a-chip (SOC). Lin believes the dual-screen Surface could arrive as early as the first quarter of 2020, or by the first half of 2020.

Bearing in mind the problems that foldable displays have already presented for Samsung, it will be intriguing to see how Microsoft intends to implement a dynamic dual-display in a foldable tablet design.

Additionally, it's unclear how Microsoft plans to host its own Android App Store separate from the Google Play store, and how that would align with the company's existing Universal Windows Platform, which provides developers with a common app platform on every device that runs Windows 10.

Earlier this year reports began appearing that Microsoft is planning to launch a dual-screen mobile device, codenamed "Centaurus." The company even teased dual-screen Surface hardware in an all hands event for its devices team earlier this month, according to The Verge.

IHS Markit analyst Lin on Sunday also predicted Apple's MacBook plans for later this year, which are said to include a 16-inch MacBook Pro and refreshes for its 13-inch MacBook Pro sans Touch Bar and MacBook Air.

Top Rated Comments

A MacBook lover Avatar
79 months ago
Google and Microsoft need to give up. You will never enter the tablet game with subpar android apps.

Keep on censoring, google.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dukeblue219 Avatar
79 months ago
Still waiting for the day that Google or Microsoft do something enticing enough to make me at least be *kind of* want their hardware.

So far... Nada.
Say what you will but Surfaces are wildly popular with enterprise users in particular. Maybe the USB C iPad or IpadOS will change that at some point but I rarely see anyone using an iPad in a meeting or for working on their lap at a conference. Surface Pros are everywhere, though.

Slightly different markets, I get that, but don't dismiss Microsofts hardware abilities.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Gorms Avatar
79 months ago
Huh, wonder if this had anything to do with Google cancelling their tablets last week?
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
coords Avatar
79 months ago
('https://www.macrumors.com/2019/06/24/microsoft-plans-foldable-surface-runs-android-apps/')


Microsoft plans to launch a small foldable Surface tablet in the first half of 2020, according to Jeff Lin, an analyst at research firm IHS Markit.


Microsoft Surface Go

In an email shared with Forbes ('https://www.forbes.com/sites/brookecrothers/2019/06/23/microsoft-plans-foldable-dual-screen-surface-will-run-android-apps-says-ihs-markit/#4de0579f0b75') citing supply chain information, Lin said he expects Microsoft to debut a Surface with dual 9-inch screens featuring a 4:3 aspect ratio.

Perhaps more interestingly, Lin also claims Microsoft's forthcoming next-gen Windows operating system, Windows Core OS, will be able to run Android apps natively. The new Surface will also apparently support Apple's iCloud services in Windows 10.

The device will also reportedly adopt an Intel 10nm Lakefield system-on-a-chip (SOC). Lin believes the dual-screen Surface could arrive as early as the first quarter of 2020, or by the first half of 2020.

Bearing in mind the problems ('https://www.macrumors.com/2019/05/07/samsung-no-launch-date-galaxy-fold/') that foldable displays have already presented for Samsung, it will be intriguing to see how Microsoft intends to implement a dynamic dual-display in a foldable tablet design.

Additionally, it's unclear how Microsoft plans to host its own Android App Store separate from the Google Play store, and how that would align with the company's existing Universal Windows Platform, which provides developers with a common app platform on every device that runs Windows 10.

Earlier this year reports began appearing ('https://www.windowscentral.com/centaurus') that Microsoft is planning to launch a dual-screen mobile device, codenamed "Centaurus." The company even teased dual-screen Surface hardware in an all hands event for its devices team earlier this month, according to The Verge ('https://www.theverge.com/2019/6/3/18648919/microsoft-surface-dual-screen-centaurus-device-teaser').

IHS Markit analyst Lin on Sunday also predicted Apple's MacBook plans for later this year, which are said to include a 16-inch MacBook Pro ('https://www.macrumors.com/2019/06/24/16-inch-macbook-pro-sept-2019-release-date-rumor/') and refreshes ('https://www.macrumors.com/2019/06/24/macbook-air-macbook-escape-2019-refresh-rumor/') for its 13-inch MacBook Pro sans Touch Bar and MacBook Air.

Article Link: Microsoft Prepping Foldable Dual-Screen Surface Tablet That Runs Android Apps ('https://www.macrumors.com/2019/06/24/microsoft-plans-foldable-surface-runs-android-apps/')
[doublepost=1561372689][/doublepost]This is absolutely hilarious!! Good luck to those poor souls who choose for such a device!!
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
appleguy123 Avatar
79 months ago
I still remember the Courier product idea they had 10 years ago. I wanted that so bad.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
prasand Avatar
79 months ago
@ “Windows Core OS”

Microsoft hitching its trailer to the Android horse makes sense, considering Apple’s move of iOS apps on MacOS. Otherwise, Microsoft wouldn’t have been able to stay relevant in the “Mobile first” future. Doing that Microsoft ensures that Windows and Android will remain ubiquitous, and the significantly larger number of Windows and Android users compared to macOS and iOS ... will be very happy with that integration.

It’s a win-win situation for the world’s most popular OSes, albeit an insecure one. It’ll be interesting to see how Microsoft handles security on this matter.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Lower Logo Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Monday June 30, 2025 1:08 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are less than three months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max in September this year. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an...
A18 Pro Chip

New MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Spotted in Apple Code

Monday June 30, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
Apple is developing a MacBook with the A18 Pro chip, according to findings in backend code uncovered by MacRumors. Earlier today, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip. The machine is expected to feature a 13-inch display, the A18 Pro chip, and color options that include silver, blue, pink, and yellow. MacRumors...
iPhone 17 Pro Lower Logo Magsafe

iPhone 17 Pro's New MagSafe Design Revealed in Leaked Photo

Wednesday July 2, 2025 8:37 am PDT by
The upcoming iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are rumored to have a slightly different MagSafe magnet layout compared to existing iPhone models, and a leaked photo has offered a closer look at the supposed new design. The leaker Majin Bu today shared a photo of alleged MagSafe magnet arrays for third-party iPhone 17 Pro cases. On existing iPhone models with MagSafe, the magnets form a...
Apple Watch Ultra Night Mode Screen

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Launching Later This Year With Two Key Upgrades

Wednesday July 2, 2025 1:13 pm PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 appears to be nearly over, and it is rumored to feature both satellite connectivity and 5G support. Apple Watch Ultra's existing Night Mode In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is on track to launch this year with "significant" new features, including satellite connectivity, which would let you...
macbook air spacegray purple

Apple Planning to Launch Low-Cost MacBook Powered By iPhone Chip

Monday June 30, 2025 3:20 am PDT by
Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In an article published on X, Kuo explained that the device will feature a 13-inch display and the A18 Pro chip, making it the first Mac powered by an iPhone chip. The A18 Pro chip debuted in the iPhone 16 Pro last year. To date, all Apple silicon Macs have contained M-series...
iOS 18

Apple Releases Second iOS 18.6 Public Beta

Tuesday July 1, 2025 10:19 am PDT by
Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 updates to public beta testers, with the betas coming just a day after Apple provided the betas to developers. Apple has also released a second beta of macOS Sequoia 15.6. Testers who have signed up for beta updates through Apple's beta site can download iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 from the Settings app on a compatible...
Wi Fi WiFi General Feature

iOS 26 Adds a Useful New Wi-Fi Feature to Your iPhone

Wednesday July 2, 2025 6:36 am PDT by
iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 add a smaller yet useful Wi-Fi feature to iPhones and iPads. As spotted by Creative Strategies analyst Max Weinbach, sign-in details for captive Wi-Fi networks are now synced across iPhones and iPads running iOS 26 and iPadOS 26. For example, while Weinbach was staying at a Hilton hotel, his iPhone prompted him to fill in Wi-Fi details from his iPad that was already...
maxresdefault

Five Features Coming to AirPods Pro 3

Friday June 27, 2025 10:52 am PDT by
Apple hasn't updated the AirPods Pro since 2022, and the earbuds are due for a refresh. We're counting on a new model this year, and we've seen several hints of new AirPods tucked away in Apple's code. Rumors suggest that Apple has some exciting new features planned that will make it worthwhile to upgrade to the latest model. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Heal...
replay all time playlist apple music

Apple Music Debuts All-New Personalized Playlist

Monday June 30, 2025 7:16 am PDT by
As part of its 10-year celebrations of Apple Music, Apple today released an all-new personalized playlist that collates your entire listening history. The playlist, called "Replay All Time," expands on Apple Music's existing Replay features. Previously, users could only see their top songs for each individual calendar year that they've been subscribed to Apple Music, but now, Replay All...