Microsoft has been dreaming of a dual-screen handheld device for years

The Verge revealed last week that Microsoft wanted to create a category of "new and disruptive" dual-screen devices to influence Surface's overall roadmap and blurring the lines between what is considered PC and mobile. Codename Andromeda, the Microsoft project has been in development for at least two years and is designed to be a handheld device. Last week, Panos Panay, Microsoft's Surface Manager, appeared to develop a foldable dual-display device in collaboration with LG Display. We are about to see the release of a tablet-like, dual-screen, folding device, which Microsoft has been dreaming of for almost a decade.

The original source of many of Microsoft's ambitions was a device called Mail. The Secret Incubation Project was designed to be a dual-screen digital newspaper, and was under development around the same time as Apple's iPad. "Courier was really here to bridge the gap between the analog world and the digital world," said Jon Friedman, now chief designer of Office 365, at a conference at Microsoft Build on Tuesday. last month. Conceptual videos and Courier images leaked, showing a dual-screen camera with support for inking and touch.

Courier is a source of inspiration for Microsoft's latest Andromeda experiment. this type of camera in his vision videos "future productivity". The latest video, dating from three years ago, shows several dual display devices that fold down and move to switch from a phone-like device to more than one tablet. These concepts are similar to the type of device used in Westworld where multiple screens with tiny bezels unfold to create a larger tablet or display in a more manageable phone form.

Conceptual videos revealed the future Surface products of the company in a rather precise manner. The Surface Hub 2 is a manifestation of Microsoft's obsession with large touchscreens, and even Surface Studio and Surface Dial devices have been featured in this same conceptual video. Foldable displays and folding phones are still a few years mainstream, but it is clear that Microsoft has been waiting for this type of future device for some time.

Samsung also played with the idea. The Galaxy manufacturer has provided its own video concept of a future phone to CES in 2013, and it has since invested in curved and collapsible screen technology. Samsung has recently started promoting collapsible displays as a source of new revenue, suggesting that we could be very close to shipping a device. LG Display also works on television screens that roll like a newspaper.

Unfortunately, this highly malleable display technology will probably not be available for the moment. But less ambitious designs could help combine the two separate displays together on short-term dual-screen devices. This is an important element for any dual-screen device: to make sure it looks like a single screen when it is deployed.

Whichever company succeeds in marketing a compelling dual-screen to avoid the mistakes of previous attempts. The Sony Tablet P tried to run the dual screens, but was disappointed by unoptimized applications and giant glasses that spoiled the experience. More recently, ZTE's Axion M also gave us a glimpse of the future of these dual-screen devices, but again the software and the application have failed.

Microsoft will really have to make sure that the software is working well enough to realize its dual-screen dream device. Scaling up applications in ever-changing display sizes and formats will be the most difficult challenge for any hardware manufacturer. But if a company succeeds, we may see an interesting era of smartphones and tablets.