Microsoft’s biggest challenge between now and the release of its Surface Neo and Duo dual-screen devices in 2020 is getting developers on board. Thankfully, it may not take a whole lot of work.
According to a blog post the Redmond, Washington-based company published, current Android and Windows 10X apps will work on the new devices without needing new tools and redesigns.
That’s huge news for developers and an important measure for Microsoft. In the past, the company has struggled to get new platforms off the ground because developers didn’t want to invest in building new apps to work on it. If existing apps and websites work out of the box, developers don’t need to do as much work to support the new hardware. It makes developers’ lives easier, it’s great for consumers (their favourite apps just work) and it means Microsoft’s new platforms won’t be dead on arrival.
However, more importantly, if developers don’t need to spend time building apps for new platforms, they can focus on adding features to their apps to take advantage of new capabilities offered by the new form factors.
In terms of taking advantage of those capabilities, Microsoft’s idea is a “common model” that overlays either Windows or Android. Unfortunately, the company wasn’t clear on the details, so we’re not sure how this overlay would work. That said, developers should have plenty of time to add support for Neo and Duo before they go on sale next year.
You can learn more about Microsoft’s development plans here.
