Abstract:
After the release of Apple’s first foldable screen phone, iPhone Duo, it not only triggered heated discussions in the developer community, but also made many current and former employees who participated in Microsoft’s Surface Duo project full of emotions. As more and more developers demonstrate application experiences built around the new form, a discussion about "whether Microsoft gave up on Surface Duo too early" is heating up again.
Matt Veloso, a former technical advisor to Microsoft, served as a technical advisor to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella for four years. He joked on social platforms that after seeing Apple release iPhone Duo, "somewhere there are thousands of people involved in the Surface Duo project burying their faces in pillows and screaming." The remarks quickly resonated.
Surface Duo was officially launched in 2020, while Apple's iPhone Duo debuted six years later. At the same time, Microsoft has canceled its follow-up product plans in 2023. Therefore, many people in the industry believe that the product form and concept displayed by Apple now are exactly the direction that Microsoft tried to explore but failed to continue.
In the nearly three weeks since the iPhone Duo was released, hot discussions surrounding the device have continued to appear on social media. A large number of developers have begun to design innovative applications for new forms, even if the products have not yet been officially released. In contrast, the developer ecosystem has always been one of the biggest challenges facing Surface Duo. Due to insufficient software support and system optimization issues, Microsoft has never been able to fully realize the potential of dual-screen devices.
Many observers point out that Microsoft actually has several years of first-mover advantage. At that time, the company not only had relevant hardware, software platforms and development tools, but also invested a lot of research resources. However, due to poor market performance and slow progress in ecological construction, this product line was eventually terminated.
What makes some former Microsoft employees even more complicated is that many of the display methods used by Apple to promote iPhone Duo this time are highly similar to the promotional concepts of Surface Duo in 2020. Whether it is using the device as a mini notebook, supporting multi-tasking parallel operations, completing work through different folding postures, or displaying a stylus with productivity applications, many people who are familiar with Surface Duo have a strong sense of déjà vu.
Microsoft Vice President Scott Hanselman responded briefly: "RIP, Surface Duo. Will always be just the bridesmaid." This comment was regarded by many users as a summary of the product's fate. Lewis Richards, chief technology officer of Microsoft's energy business, responded in a joking manner, saying that after he shared the video of Apple's release with a friend, the other party joked: "In another week, Apple may even have invented the word 'Duo' itself."
Veloso later said that not only did Apple adopt a similar product concept, but even the name "Duo" surprised him. He admitted that seeing Apple eventually choose to use this naming method gave many people who participated in the project mixed feelings.
Some industry observers believe that Microsoft has taken the lead in trying new products and innovative ideas many times in the past decade or so, but has failed to translate them into market success stories. From tablets to smartphones to dual-screen devices, Microsoft is often the first to come up with concepts, but it's ultimately up to other manufacturers to bring those ideas to the mass market.
With the iPhone Duo gaining widespread attention, the discussion about whether the Surface Duo was "untimely" has once again become the focus of the technology circle. For many people who have been involved in the development of the project, Apple's success does not necessarily mean imitation, but more like a belated validation of the direction Microsoft was exploring.
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