Secret Windows phone finally revealed after years! Photos show system and design

It’s a widely known secret that the foldable Surface Duo started as a Windows phone. Thanks to new leaked photos, we can finally get a look at the hardware and software that Microsoft originally developed in 2017 and which ultimately never made it to market. The device, codenamed Andromeda, was supposed to usher in a new era of Windows phones with a unique dual-screen, but that never happened.

The project that was supposed to replace Windows Phone

Andromeda ran on a special version of Windows, built from the ground up for this new device format. However, the project was unfortunately canceled in 2018 after a series of technical problems and delays. Microsoft later modified the hardware and recycled it as an Android device, which we know as the current Surface Duo. However, the original vision for Andromeda was quite different.

The device was conceived as a digital pocket notebook that could also replace your phone. The priority was pen input and usage, which significantly differentiated it from the rest of the smartphone market. The home screen consisted of a digital notebook that was always ready for writing, allowing the user to take notes or create reminders and sticky notes.

Photos reveal hardware with premium craftsmanship

Until recently, we had never seen Andromeda running the Windows operating system it was designed for. We had seen the Andromeda hardware separately, and also the operating system, but never both at the same time. That has finally changed thanks to new photos that were discovered in listings on the Chinese trading platform GooFish and include a variety of Andromeda prototypes from 2017 and 2018.

The devices are in various states of damage, but some of them are functional and actually run the special version of Windows that Microsoft canceled. These photos allow us to take a close look at the Andromeda hardware and confirm a number of differences compared to the released Surface Duo. Andromeda had:

• A rear camera
• Built-in wireless charging for the Surface Slim Pen stylus
• A metal frame that gave a more premium feel
• Smaller hinges, which were enlarged on the Surface Duo for greater rigidity

According to sources, the reason for this change was weight – Microsoft wanted the Surface Duo to be light, and one way to reduce weight was to replace the metal frame with plastic. Unfortunately, plastic is not as strong, and on a device as thin as the Surface Duo, this led to the USB-C port cracking over time.

First prototypes with fabric surface

Nabídky na GooFish také odhalují ještě starší prototyp Andromeda, který měl jiný tvar než Surface Duo. Tyto dřívější modely byly o něco užší a vyšší, s domovským tlačítkem pod displeji a materiálem podobným látce na vnějším plášti, což jim dodávalo více vzhled deníku.

Secret Windows phone finally revealed after years! Photos show system and design Jakub Kárník News Jakub Kárník News

The version of Windows that Microsoft was developing for this hardware was also fascinating. It was built on the then-new Windows Core OS and featured a universal shell that was purposefully created for the dual-screen format. The Start menu was accessible by swiping from the left on the left display, while applications ran above the digital notebook.

Do you think a dual-screen Windows phone could have succeeded?

Source: WindowsCentral