Microsoft surprised everyone last year when it announced the Surface Duo, a foldable, dual-screen Android phone. However, the company said it wouldn’t arrive until late 2020. Now, it looks like we’re getting closer to that holiday release.
Droid Life spotted a Microsoft device passing through the FCC. Although most of the revealing details remain hidden behind temporary FCC confidentiality, the device is almost certainly the Surface Duo. The name on the FCC documents is ‘Microsoft Phablet Device,’ and the documents list that it runs Android 10.
Additionally, one paragraph describes the device having two screens and ‘four configurations,’ including open and closed.
Unless Microsoft has another dual-screen Android phone in the works, this is the Surface Duo.
Other details show that Duo supports all major LTE bands in the U.S. as well as Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac). It also supports Bluetooth and, thanks to the listed model number, 9to5Google says the Duo passed through the Bluetooth SIG approval process last year.
The FCC seems unsure about the status of NFC with the Surface Duo. The listing says the foldable isn’t approved for NFC’s necessary network band, but later describes the Duo’s ‘wireless technologies’ and mentions NFC.
Until the FCC updates the document, it’s probably safe to assume the Surface Duo doesn’t have NFC.
Beyond that, the FCC information doesn’t reveal anything we don’t already know. The Surface Duo will use the Snapdragon 855 system-on-a-chip (SoC), 6GB of RAM and up to 256GB of storage.
All in all, the FCC appearance suggests that the Surface Duo is still on track for later this year. Microsoft already adjusted plans for its Surface Neo foldable PC in part because of the COVID-19 pandemic, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if it did the same with the Duo.
However, recent rumours suggested Microsoft planned to release the Duo sooner, possibly in August to go head-to-head with Samsung’s Galaxy Fold 2. While just a rumour, this FCC document could indicate the Duo will be ready to go for an August launch.
Source: Droid Life Via: 9to5Google
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