Microsoft Surface Phone: When Can We Expect iPhone X Fold’s Rival?

As Apple delays its rumored foldable iPhone dubbed the “iPhone X Fold,” it’s normal for people to think of other tech giants that might be working on a foldable device of its own. That said, when will Microsoft release its rumored iPhone X Fold rival?

Previous reports revealed that Apple is already working on iPhone X Fold, a foldable device that will compete with Samsung’s yet to be released Galaxy Fold as well as Huawei’s Mate X foldable phone. The Cupertino tech giant is believed to be making some progress, and might release it sooner than we think.

Analysts believe a foldable device is on Apple’s plans, and that despite the fact that the Cupertino tech company is “well behind” other tech companies like Samsung in terms of foldable smartphones, it hasn’t received negative feedback for a failed attempt unlike the Korean giant has.

It is believed that Apple decided to delay its first foray into the foldable devices category as it anticipated that foldable devices --the Galaxy Fold, in particular-- will have some problems given that the technology is still new. By doing this, Apple evades possible backlash, and gets the chance to learn from others’ failures.

Where is Microsoft?

With all the talk regarding the aforementioned big tech companies and their efforts to create a foldable device, one has to wonder about another huge tech company: Microsoft. Where is Microsoft and what is it doing? Will the company release a foldable device of its own?

If reports are to be believed, yes. It seems that Apple’s rumored has a rival in the rumored foldable Surface Phone.

Earlier, Microsoft was reported to be working on a foldable Surface device that could run Android apps. The device, which is codenamed “Centaurus,” is a foldable device that sports two 9-inch displays. This device is powered by a 10nm “Lakefield” Intel processor (the company’s answer to Qualcomm’s SoCs), and will run a version of Windows 10 called Windows Core OS.

Centaurus is based on a project called “Andromeda,” which is a foldable phone running Windows Core OS and is also capable of running Android apps. Microsoft didn’t scrap Andromeda, but instead worked on a larger version it called Centaurus.

Now, this is where it gets interesting. Centaurus is expected for release early next year, as early as the first quarter of 2020, or within the first half of 2020. Centaurus is but a larger version of Andromeda. If Microsoft releases Centaurus next year, there’s a possibility that the smaller Andromeda might follow. They’re different-sized versions of each other, after all.