Leak reveals Microsoft’s canceled Windows OS for dual-screen devices

Microsoft was working on a pocketable Surface device that was powered by a custom Windows OS before it launched the Surface Duo. The device appeared in leaked emails, patents, reports, and throughout references to it in Microsoft's Windows operating system.

Windows Central obtained an early test version of Andromeda OS that was running on a Lumia 950 to show how close Microsoft was to launching a more modern successor to Windows Phone.

Microsoft engineers used the devices to test parts of the operating system, even though it was never intended to be used on a Lumia 950. Not all engineers got access to prototype dual-screen hardware, but they still had to work on OS components, as is typical for secret device development at many tech companies.

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The interface of the OS looked a lot like Windows Phone.

The image is of Windows Central.

A very early version of a Windows Phone for dual-screen hardware was shown by Windows Central. The lockscreen is very similar to Windows Phone. The lockscreen can act as a giant canvas to take notes. Just start writing with the notes app.

The home screen had another inking canvas called Journal. The notebook was always accessible and supported inking, sticky notes, images, and 3D objects.

The lockscreen was large enough to hold inking tools.

The image is of Windows Central.

There is early gesture support that led to what eventually shipped on the Surface Duo. Some of the ideas that went into Windows 11 and the Surface Duo are present in the early Andromeda OSUI.

It is interesting to look back at what could have been. Microsoft decided to use similar hardware that would be powered by Android in lieu of the Andromeda OS. The software maker was working on a larger dual-screen device called Surface Neo. The project ended with the cancelation of Windows 10X last year, and it looks like Windows 11 will lead the way for any devices that attempt to bring foldable or dual-screen hardware to life.