Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution/USPTO
It feels like it happened a century ago, but Microsoft was once a rival to Google and Apple in the mobile space with its own phone platform and lineup of devices.
Windows Phone, Windows 10 Mobile, and Lumia phones were supposed to turn Microsoft into the third important player in the mobile world, as it was the only big company (except for BlackBerry, which never matched Microsoft's market cap) that could launch a product to compete with Android and iOS.
Microsoft's mobile strategy failed in the most ridiculous way, with the company eventually going all-in on Android devices.
It adopted Google's operating system and launched two generations of the Surface Duo, a dual-screen device whose purpose was to keep Microsoft at the forefront of device innovations. The Surface is already selling like hotcakes in the PC world, so Microsoft wanted the same to happen in the phone industry.
It didn't, so last year, Microsoft decided to give up on mobile devices, killing off the Surface Duo – the second-generation model is still supported, but it hasn't received any big updates lately.
A patent that recently made its way online reportedly reveals the design of the Surface Duo 3, a device that Microsoft wanted to launch before its mobile strategy changed its course.
The Surface Duo 3, which would have been powered by Android, giving users a good reason to stick with Android Auto and not switch to the "more traditional" iPhone, was supposed to come with an edge-to-edge cover screen and inside foldable displays. It included a camera module that covered the entire width of the phone on the back, with the lower part of the rear used for magnetic accessories similar to Apple's MagSafe.
One of the drawings shows the Surface Duo 3 with a kickstand attached to the device magnetically. The kickstand is a signature Surface accessory, as it's also available on Surface computers.
Microsoft also reportedly planned a power button that allowed Surface users to unfold the device automatically without them having to open the two screens manually as everybody does today on foldable phones.
The Surface Duo 3 would have been a fantastic device to run Android Auto, albeit its screen estate would have also allowed users to run their apps, such as Google Maps and Waze, without a connection to the car.
Unfortunately, Microsoft once again disappoints in the mobile consumer space, and the company has had enough with experiments in the Surface unit. It wants to invest in products that bring home the bacon, and a Surface phone can't sell in the large numbers that would justify millions of dollars spent on research and developments. These drawings are all we'll get about this brilliant idea that'll never come to be.
Microsoft's mobile strategy failed in the most ridiculous way, with the company eventually going all-in on Android devices.
It adopted Google's operating system and launched two generations of the Surface Duo, a dual-screen device whose purpose was to keep Microsoft at the forefront of device innovations. The Surface is already selling like hotcakes in the PC world, so Microsoft wanted the same to happen in the phone industry.
It didn't, so last year, Microsoft decided to give up on mobile devices, killing off the Surface Duo – the second-generation model is still supported, but it hasn't received any big updates lately.
A patent that recently made its way online reportedly reveals the design of the Surface Duo 3, a device that Microsoft wanted to launch before its mobile strategy changed its course.
The Surface Duo 3, which would have been powered by Android, giving users a good reason to stick with Android Auto and not switch to the "more traditional" iPhone, was supposed to come with an edge-to-edge cover screen and inside foldable displays. It included a camera module that covered the entire width of the phone on the back, with the lower part of the rear used for magnetic accessories similar to Apple's MagSafe.
One of the drawings shows the Surface Duo 3 with a kickstand attached to the device magnetically. The kickstand is a signature Surface accessory, as it's also available on Surface computers.
Microsoft also reportedly planned a power button that allowed Surface users to unfold the device automatically without them having to open the two screens manually as everybody does today on foldable phones.
The Surface Duo 3 would have been a fantastic device to run Android Auto, albeit its screen estate would have also allowed users to run their apps, such as Google Maps and Waze, without a connection to the car.
Unfortunately, Microsoft once again disappoints in the mobile consumer space, and the company has had enough with experiments in the Surface unit. It wants to invest in products that bring home the bacon, and a Surface phone can't sell in the large numbers that would justify millions of dollars spent on research and developments. These drawings are all we'll get about this brilliant idea that'll never come to be.
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