This latest tease was offered by Frank X. Shaw, Corporate Vice President and Corporate Communications for Microsoft. It comes just days after Microsoft hardware chief Panos Panay teased a bumper case for the Surface Duo. Make no mistake, Microsoft higher-ups would not be offering these leaks if the Duo was not imminent. It is also worth noting Shaw’s Twitter image not only showed a Surface Pen, but also the bumper case. One question raised by the photos was what Surface Pen will ship with the smartphone. While it is possible this is a new Pen variant, it’s more likely it is the Surface Slim Pen. This is the version that ships with Microsoft Surface Pro X ARM-based device.
— Frank X. Shaw (@fxshaw) July 9, 2020 If you’re unfamiliar with the Surface Slim Pen, it has wireless charging and the N-trig technology found on the full “stylus”. Considering Microsoft will certainly push the Surface Duo as an enterprise-first device, Surface Pen support is an important addition.
Duo Launch
Now all that’s left is to wait for Microsoft’s launch. You may remember the company was originally planning to launch the Duo later in the fall. It was going to arrive alongside the Surface Neo, which has since been postponed. However, it has been widely reported Microsoft has moved the launch of the Surface Duo forward to August. This seems to be because the company wanted to arrive around the same time as the Samsung Galaxy Fold 2, which will be the Duo’s main competitor. Interestingly, Samsung has reportedly delayed the Galaxy Fold 2. That means the handset is unlikely to arrive at the company’s Unpacked 2020 event on August 5. Still, that change does not seem to have altered Microsoft’s own plans. As such, we expect the Surface Duo to be launched soon.
