Microsoft's Android Surface Duo: This is how you'll peek at messages and calls
A leaked video shows a 'peek' feature for Microsoft's first foldable smartphone, the Surface Duo.
Two short videos show how Microsoft plans to manage notifications in the foldable design, allowing users to quickly peek at notifications when partially opening the device.
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Reliable Windows leaker WalkingCat posted the video on Twitter to demonstrate how the concept, which brings up notifications on the edge of the right-side screen as it is unfolded. Users can check and dismiss the messages in a half-opened state.
Peek pic.twitter.com/vnawzLrf6k
— WalkingCat (@h0x0d) February 26, 2020
The second video shows how the user can peek at an incoming call to check who the caller is before fully unfolding the device to accept the call.
— WalkingCat (@h0x0d) February 26, 2020
As The Verge points out, this feature is Microsoft's answer to not having an outward-facing screen when the device is folded. Samsung's Galaxy Fold, Galaxy Flip Z and Motorola's Razr all have small screens on the front for viewing notifications and incoming calls.
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Microsoft plans to release the Surface Duo and Windows 10X-powered Surface Neo later this year and is likely to reveal more this May at its annual Build conference.
The company last month released a preview of the software developer kit (SDK) for the Surface Duo and this month released Windows 10X development tools. Windows 10X devices like the Surface Neo will have a Wonder Bar strip at the top of the bottom screen when they fold out into a laptop position.
The Duo SDK includes native Java application programming interfaces for dual-screen Duo development and an Android emulator with a preview of the Surface Duo image. Developers need the Android Studio and Android Emulator to use the SDK.
Developers using Android Studio can install the latest version of Google's IDE, Android Studio version 3.6, which was updated this week with better support for dual-screen devices. The Emulator now includes preliminary support for multiple virtual displays.
In the Surface Duo's half-opened state, users can check and dismiss messages, which appear on the edge of the right-side screen.