Man, this whole Surface Duo thing is like one of those best-kept secrets that’s not really a secret, you know? Anyway, someone finally dug up some old images, and now we can see what Microsoft was cooking up before they bailed on it. It’s wild. They called it “Andromeda,” and it was supposed to be this game-changing Windows phone. A dual-screen gadget with its own special OS — but nah, they ditched it in 2018 due to all sorts of hiccups. Fast forward, and they just turned the whole deal into an Android device. That’s what we now know as the Surface Duo. But the OG idea was way cooler. Or maybe I’m just a sucker for underdogs.
Let’s talk about this Andromeda thing — it was, well, kinda ambitious? Picture a pocket-sized digital notebook that was also your phone. But the twist? It was all about the pen. A total oddball in the smartphone zoo.
Oh, and get this! We never actually saw Andromeda running its special Windows version. We saw pieces — hardware here, a bit of the OS there — just not together. Until these pics popped up from GaoFish or GooFish (yeah, never heard of it either). These images show a collection of Andromeda prototypes from a few years ago, in various states of disrepair. Messy, but some still working and running that exclusive Windows version Microsoft canned.
Seriously, these images spill the beans on Andromeda’s features. Compared to what the Surface Duo ended up being, it had a back camera, wireless charging for the Slim Pen, and a swanky metal frame. Duo didn’t get any of those goodies. Not until later versions, at least. I guess they wanted Duo to be lightweight — and guess how they did that? By swapping that metal for plastic. But, oops — plastic means fragile, and if you’ve got a USB-C port on a thin device like Duo, it’s kinda destined to crack. Nice going, right?
And Oh! Hardware-wise, Andromeda had these smaller hinges, which got beefed up for the Duo. I hear there was even a monochrome camera for 3D scanning — back when Microsoft was all “3D this, 3D that” with HoloLens. Ah, memories…
Plus, some early Andromeda versions? They had this entirely different shape. More like a notebook, with a home button and a fabric-like casing. Really digging that journal vibe.
Now, let’s dive into the OS. Built on this new Windows Core OS idea, it was like, tailored for dual screens. You had a digital journal ready for your scribbles any time. Swipe here for apps, swipe there for Cortana. Heck, even the lock screen was a canvas for the Surface Pen. Imagine doodling away before even unlocking your phone!
Honestly, they never polished Andromeda OS, so we don’t get to know how it could’ve been. It was rough around the edges. But those visions, man — they really wanted something. I first blabbed about Andromeda ages ago, even before the official reveal by dropping hints on Twitter. Fun times!
Feels like the demise of Andromeda was also the nail in the coffin for Windows Phone. They had plans to replace Windows 10 Mobile with Andromeda, but yeah… dreams crushed.
But hey, maybe Andromeda could’ve rocked the tech world. Who knows? Feel free to drop your thoughts. What do you reckon — would it have taken off?
