Microsoft’s Upcoming Foldable Surface PC Will Run Android Apps, Report Claims

Microsoft’s upcoming foldable Surface PC will reportedly be capable of running Android apps.

Forbes, citing Jeff Lin who is the associate director of consumer electronics at IHS Markit, reported that Microsoft’s upcoming foldable Surface PC is capable of running Android apps despite being a device that runs a version of Windows 10 named Windows Core OS.

This device, which is codenamed “Centaurus” as per Windows Central, is a foldable device that sports two 9-inch displays, each with 4:3 aspect ratio. Inside the device is a hybrid 10nm “Lakefield” processor from Intel, which is the processor company’s answer to Qualcomm’s “System on a Chip (SoC),” TechRadar said.

Android apps on Windows?

Windows Central seconded the Forbes report, saying the device’s capability to run Android Apps is “something I've been hearing” for over a year. The report claimed that Microsoft worked on a certain project called Andromeda, a “pocketable” phone with two displays. This device would run on Windows Core OS and will be capable of running Android apps.

Instead of pursuing Andromeda, however, Microsoft decided to work on a larger foldable device with two displays -- the device now reported as Centaurus. The tech giant didn’t scrap Andromeda altogether, but simply decided to bring Andromeda’s capabilities to the Centaurus device, which means it runs on Windows Core OS and can also run Android Apps.

That said, Centaurus will be the first device to run on a flavor of Windows Core OS called Windows Lite, and if the reports are true, might be the first Windows device capable of running Android apps.

Other things

Aside from the ability to run Android apps, Centaurus is also said to be capable of running iCloud service on Windows 10. It is also said to feature an “Always on connectivity function” whether the device is connected to an LTE or 5G network.

Nothing has been said about the device’s other specs like GPU, memory allocation, storage capacity and other things. However, it might be announced during an event later this year and can be expected to start shipping sometime within the first half of 2020.