What's happening with the Microsoft Surface Andromeda device?



[ad_1]

The last few weeks have been invaded by speculation about Microsoft's iconic Andromeda device, with recent rumors suggesting that Microsoft is about to fire on its dual-screen mobile phone – throwing optimists and fans into the limelight. panic. Everything from delays to significant material changes, to cancellations, has been spotted in the rumor lately. So, what's really going on?

I have been researching to try to clarify some of the recent rumors reported by several media, to see if we can better understand the situation.

Mary-Jo of ZDNet Foley recently wrote a bit about Andromeda and revealed that Microsoft has decided to postpone its release next year, and is seriously considering canceling the device completely. This news surprised a lot of people because just a few days ago The Verge had written a somewhat positive article that revealed internal emails describing the Andromeda project itself.

Unfortunately, it is believed that the emails in question are several months old. when Terry Myerson was still in charge. Many believe that now Myerson is out, Andromeda will never see the light of day, which is quite possible of course. However, I was able to confirm recently on the Windows Central Podcast that Andromeda is still alive and that the only bad news is that its planned release date has been pushed back to ### 39 next year. [19659005] Why the delay?

The question now is why? Well, according to my sources, Microsoft has decided to postpone the release of Andromeda to give itself more time to improve hardware and software. There are a lot of moving parts when it comes to Andromeda, because it is built with a custom version of Windows 10 specifically for the device and the form factor itself, similar to Surface Hub and HoloLens.

An experiment adapted to its unique form factor, based on Windows Core OS. This personalized experience is known as the Andromeda operating system and does not include inherited user interface and bloat. Microsoft is doing exactly the same with Surface Hub 2, which is also running a custom-made version of Windows Core OS known as Aruba and specifically designed for this great collaborative device form factor.

Microsoft pushes out Andromeda's release to give itself more time to perfect hardware and software.

Therefore, it is important to point out that Andromeda OS does not look like any version of Windows 10 available on the market today; This is a brand new Windows OS experience developed by CShell that is designed from scratch for multitasking dual screen mobile. For this reason, Microsoft needs more time to make sure the operating system is thoroughly cooked.

Microsoft also needs more time to improve the application-gap on Andromeda, which is another reason cited for its delay. If Microsoft released Andromeda this year, it would do it with a platform that has more missing applications than Windows 10 Mobile. One of the things that Microsoft does to help combat the problem of the application is to adopt the PWA (Progressive Web Apps). He even built a bot that will automatically add PWAs to the Microsoft Store without developers having to submit them first. The PWAs will not solve everything, but they should be able to intervene for the most popular applications and services like Twitter, Uber, and even Spotify, if they wish. The delay gives Microsoft more time to get PWAs in the store, and I hear that Microsoft will use this extra time also to upgrade the Edge engine so that the PWAs work better and consume less battery power.

UWP is also something that Microsoft is actively pushing on Andromeda, and apps like WhatsApp are a possible candidate for that, but progress on the UWP front is slow, hence the focus on PWA. In addition, I am told that there are other ideas that the company also plans to help improve the situation of the application on Andromeda, but I am still looking for information about it. For now, we know that Microsoft is betting big on PWA, and rightly so.

What about the material?

I've seen some rumors claim that the delay is hardware-related, with some reports suggesting that Microsoft is considering rethinking the device and even changing its form factor a bit. According to my sources, however, Microsoft does not plan to radically change its form factor. The delay is mainly related to the software because the hardware itself was more or less good for an October version.

The delay now means that Microsoft has more time to "fine-tune" the material, and maybe even slip into a new processor, depending on whether the Andromeda version aligns with the roadmap of the Snapdragons processor of course. I understand that the latest Andromeda prototypes use Snapdragon 845/850 processors, but now that Andromeda arrives later, these chips may be old by the time Microsoft is ready to launch the device.

It's worth noting that the first Andromeda prototypes were using a Snapdragon 835 Processor, which was later replaced for the 845. So, Andromeda has already passed a processor switch internally before, which means that it's a good thing. it is not difficult to imagine the device goes through another if need be. An optimized and more powerful ARM chip is never a bad thing.

It is not uncommon either that a device undergoes multiple iterations throughout development. Putting in a newer processor may require the company to rework some of the internal ones, but apart from that, I have not heard of any plans to radically change the form factor itself. It should always be a foldable, foldable and orientable device to a pen with the telephony when it is shipped.

So when will it happen?

The biggest question now is when can we expect it to appear? The simple and uncomfortable answer is "when it's ready". The development of Windows has changed a lot since ancient times, and the deadlines are not as strict as in the past. How it works now, engineers working on the features of the software will have a deadline for a future version of Windows 10, say RS5 for example. This usually happens several months to a year before the exit is scheduled.

It will be ready when it is ready

This gives engineers time to build a feature, but if engineers find that they are unable to complete the feature on time, they can simply push it back to the coming out. So, in our example, this feature is returned to RS6, and the team working on it now has six more months to complete it. This cycle repeats itself until the functionality is good enough to be shipped. That's exactly what is happening with Windows Sets, in fact. This is partly why Microsoft is committing to two updates per year as it allows Microsoft to release the features sooner after they postpone it.

The software delay for Andromeda is with Andromeda OS, which just will not be ready in time for RS5 now. So, this means that the next Microsoft port of call for Andromeda is RS6 (known as 19H1) in the spring of next year. Even then, Microsoft could decide to release it until the fall of 2019, alongside RS7 (known as 19H2), thus extending the life of the company for its own sake. make sure everything is fine and maybe even slip into this new processor.

Of course, if you followed our cover of Andromeda since last year, you know that the possibility that Microsoft kills Andromeda is never far away. Starting today, the work continues on Andromeda as usual, but that does not mean that it is clear from here until that day. 39, it is shipped. Microsoft can remove the form at any time, as can the nature of internal development.

We still do not really know who this device will serve, and that's because we do not know its feature set. again. Who Andromeda is for will depend heavily on what he can do. If Microsoft can improve the gap between applications, Andromeda's purchase will evolve primarily around its capabilities, both on the software and hardware front. I hope we will know more about what it can do in the near future, but for now, to whom Andromeda addresses itself remains a great mystery.

In short, Microsoft has delayed its Andromeda device to ensure a better product. All the people I have talked to about it agree that delaying Andromeda is only a good thing. It sucks that we have to wait even longer before we can see it for real. In the meantime, what do you think of Microsoft's Andromeda project? Let us know in the comments!

[ad_2]
Source link