Just how would a folding tablet like the Surface 'Andromeda' even work?

After watching the Surface Hub 2 reveal yesterday, I felt similar I was peering into the futurity. Surface reveal ads have become a bit of a phenomenon unto themselves, but for some reason, I call back the Hub 2 has been the about captivating for me so far, even though I'm nowhere near the target audience.

The Surface Hub two is a boardroom brandish on steroids. It features rotational capabilities, inking, seamless integration with multiple Hubs and other Surface products, and tin offer full-body Skype conversations equally if you lot were in the same room. Smart screens like this aren't exactly new, simply most of them frankly suck, with weak capabilities designed to encounter didactics department budgets. Indeed, the Hub two is as niche as they come, only clearly, Microsoft sees an opportunity here. Perhaps they besides see a like niche opportunity with Andromeda.

The rumored Surface "Andromeda" is the most-mythical folding phone-tablet-thing that we've been writing about for what feels similar forever at this betoken. Numerous pocket-size leaks, hints in Bone code, and patent filings seem to bespeak towards a type of tablet, comprised of two displays that connect at the middle. Since the Surface Hub 2 runs on WCOS/CShell, in a sense, it's offer the first glimpse at a Windows built specifically with multi-display use-cases in heed, such as the folding telephone. Of form, yous can utilize multi-monitors with Windows 10 today, only information technology's not always seamless, nor is it designed with apps in mind, to leverage all of those displays simultaneously. Andromeda, presumably, will be.

That creates various compelling compute scenarios that really got me thinking recently, and I did some (bad) doodles on my Surface Book 2 to explore the possibilities.

Productivity

Naturally, any folding device from Microsoft would likely be aimed at prosumers commencement, who don't rely on all the hip and absurd social apps that will likely never hit PWA or UWP. Don't expect your folding Surface to ever get Snapchat, and at this fourth dimension, it'southward unlikely classic Windows Phone apps like WhatsApp will make it either. Andromeda volition likely be designed to accompany your telephone, much similar a smartwatch, iPad, or even laptop, using Microsoft's "Your Telephone" app to keep y'all informed near happenings on your other devices.

I'thou by no means suggesting y'all'll be able to fully replace your laptop with Andromeda, but envision scenarios where you might only need to do some light word processing, such every bit a university lecture, a press conference, or some kind of meeting where notetaking in OneNote might be more than efficient than whipping out a huge laptop, or trying to awkwardly swipe-type on your phone.

Perhaps after the issue, you lot observe a desk and want to convert some handwritten notes and add more context in Word. Setting the phone at an angle could produce a laptop-like experience consummate with a virtual keyboard, similarly to the dual-display Lenovo Yoga Book. Y'all could even throw in a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, similarly to how you lot're able to with Windows 10 Mobile, albeit with a built-in stand to keep it from falling over.

In that location are even more than possibilities when y'all throw in (probable) Bluetooth capabilities. Perhaps you have those notes and want to exercise additional research, continue your word certificate on one side, and open an Border browser on the next.

This isn't far removed from simply snapping apps on a laptop, of course. The difference being Andromeda could be something small plenty to fold and slip into your pocket, while big enough to be truly productive in short bursts. It could theoretically straddle a niche that isn't quite tablet, phone, or laptop.

Leisure and gaming

Sure, it'south unlikely we'll ever see Snapchat on this affair (if indeed, this thing exists), but that doesn't mean yous wouldn't exist able to have fun on information technology. Any compatible UWP or PWA app will piece of work on it simply fine, scaling as necessary, much similar they do on Windows x today.

Android phones tin already pull off the dual-app thing, assuasive you to picket a YouTube video while browsing side by side on your phone's brandish. But, at least theoretically, a dual-display Windows 10 device could take it a trivial bit further, processor withstanding.

The hinge creates interesting scenarios for gaming, too. Peculiarly in a world where Microsoft'south Xbox team is actively exploring streaming total games from the cloud. One of the biggest issues to solve surrounding this volition exist control schemes. The Xbox controller's Bluetooth stack is non bachelor on Android, merely information technology volition be available on whatever futurity Windows ten tablet device, similarly to how it works on PC and Windows ten Mobile. Fold the display into tent mode, and game on.

If you don't fancy taking your controller with you, however, perhaps Microsoft could leverage the second display to create a type of virtual software gamepad. While this wouldn't piece of work particularly well for shooters (no triggers or bumpers), in that location are hundreds of slower-paced games that would work just fine using this touch method.

What exercise y'all think?

There are probably dozens of other interesting utilize cases the folding aspect of Andromeda could have to add to its uniqueness. Dual cameras could produce 3D scanning techniques as Microsoft has hinted at in the past, and Microsoft has been experimenting with all sorts of docking peripherals for folding displays.

At that place's a run a risk Andromeda will never see the lite of day, but after the Surface Hub 2 reveal, I'thousand more hopeful than ever that Microsoft will accept a chance to practice something special, even if its potential audience remains niche. We'll only accept to await and encounter.

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