Microsoft unveiled two dual-screen devices in October: the Windows-powered Surface Neo and the Android-powered Surface Duo. Although the devices won’t be available until “Holiday 2020,” the company has released SDKs and guidelines on how apps for the two devices should look and function.
Microsoft made the announcement in a company blog post:
“We are happy to announce the availability of the preview SDK for Microsoft Surface Duo, and availability in the coming weeks for the preview SDK for Windows 10. We are also excited to announce new web standards proposals to enable dual-screen experiences for websites and PWAs on both Android and Windows 10X. These new web standards proposals will provide you with the capabilities and tools you need for dual-screen devices.”
With the announcement, it’s clear Microsoft is going all-in on dual-screens devices. The company is working to make sure its own apps, such as the Edge web browser, offer an experience that takes full advantage of the dual-screen form factor.
The company hopes developers will work hard to do the same.
“Dual-screen devices creates an opportunity for your apps to delight people in a new and innovative way. To help you get started, we are providing you with basic support checklists for touch and pen and drag and drop and initial app pattern ideas to ensure your apps work great on dual-screen devices.”
There’s no doubt that Microsoft has an innovative and refreshing take on foldable devices. Hopefully, armed with these guidelines and SDKs, developers will be able to usher in a whole new generation of mobile productivity.
