Microsoft’s unreleased Surface Duo Windows foldable prototype recently surfaced for sale at a collector’s price of nearly $14,000. This unique device runs an unreleased Windows Phone-based OS called Andromeda, designed as an intermediate between a phone and a PC. Unlike the official Surface Duo models launching with Android, this prototype features a dual-screen design with tiles on one screen and quick settings on the other, 360-degree hinge, a monochrome 3D camera for HoloLens integration, wireless stylus charging, and a metallic frame.
Microsoft aimed to position the Surface Duo as a new product category combining phone portability with PC functionality, but the decline of Windows Phone led to the project’s cancellation in 2023—a decision later regretted by CEO Satya Nadella. The prototype currently listed on a Chinese second-hand marketplace fetches a staggering ¥98,999 (approximately $13,730), making it primarily a collector’s curiosity rather than a practical device.
If it had launched, the Surface Duo running Windows could have carved a unique niche between mobile phones and PCs, but Microsoft’s pivot to Android for the released models marked a different path for the foldable category.
Key highlights of the unreleased Windows Surface Duo prototype:
- Dual 5.6-inch AMOLED screens with a 360-degree hinge
- Runs the unreleased Andromeda OS with a unique tile UI
- Monochrome 3D camera tailored for HoloLens devices
- Metallic frame with wireless stylus charging capabilities
- Features thick bezels and a squarish design differing from final Surface Duo
- Listed for sale at approximately $13,730 on a Chinese peer-to-peer platform
While this prototype is unlikely to ever become a consumer product, it represents an intriguing chapter in Microsoft’s mobile experimentation and a glimpse of what might have been in the foldable device space.