See the Microsoft Surface Duo's dual-screen Android OS in action

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By Daniel Rubino
last updated

The Surface Duo suddenly seems more real with this SDK demo.

Surface Duo
Surface Duo (Image credit: Microsoft)

What you need to know

  • Surface Duo's SDK was released.
  • New video shows how it looks in action.
  • A render with the video makes it all come alive.

Earlier today, Microsoft surprised the tech community by releasing the SDK for the Android-based Surface Duo smartphone due later this year (don't worry, Surface Neo SDK is due in February).

Our senior Windows reporter Zac Bowden has been playing around with the SDK, which can be installed by anyone, and recorded a short video of the OS in action including the settings, running multiple apps, and the app switcher.

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While that video was great, Jonas Daehnert (aka @PhoneDesigner) grabbed that video and put it into a render of the Surface Duo, which made all the difference. Once combined, you can appreciate the animation, OS fluidity, and how dual-screens will interact together at this early stage (the SDK is expected to be updated in the following months).

Microsoft is still committed to a "holiday 2020" release for the Surface Duo and Surface Neo. Nevertheless, we hear some rumblings that the Duo's hardware may come earlier, possibly as developer devices.

Either way, we're getting much more excited for Surface Duo after seeing it in action. What about you?

Daniel Rubino
Daniel Rubino
Editor-in-chief

Daniel Rubino is the Editor-in-chief of Windows Central. He is also the head reviewer, podcast co-host, and analyst. He has been covering Microsoft since 2007, when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, laptops, next-gen computing, and watches. He has been reviewing laptops since 2015 and is particularly fond of 2-in-1 convertibles, ARM processors, new form factors, and thin-and-light PCs. Before all this tech stuff, he worked on a Ph.D. in linguistics, watched people sleep (for medical purposes!), and ran the projectors at movie theaters because it was fun.