Surface Duo could avoid Windows Mobile’s biggest flaw – a lack of apps
New emulator preview could persuade more devs to make apps for Microsoft’s dual-screen device
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Microsofthas just released a newSurface Duoemulator preview build, which comes not just with the expected bug fixes, but an important new feature: support for the Android Jetpack WindowManager.
hat does that mean? Basically,Googlerecently updated its Jetpack WindowManager to support dual-screen and foldable devices, and so Microsoft has brought this in with build 2020.710.3 of the Surface Duo emulator preview.
This means that rather than using the Surface Duo SDK for producing their apps for Microsoft’s dual-screen device, developers can instead use the Foldables Jetpack library (although right now, it’s still in a preview state itself). Microsoft promises it will support developers on both these routes.
The more apps, the better
In short, there’s now scope for building apps that work across devices, so not just on the Surface Duo, but other Android dual-screen or foldable hardware like theSamsung Galaxy Z Flip. And that can only be good news for the Duo’s potential library of apps, of course, which as we know is a key part of any piece of hardware’s potential success.
In ablog postintroducing the new emulator preview, Microsoft provided guidance for developers, and noted: “Microsoft encourages developers to use the Jetpack library to create dual screen experiences.”
Other recent Surface Duo rumors includeMicrosoft having apparently started workon bringingAndroid 11to the dual-screen device – it will launch with Android 10 – and that theDuo could be released soon, with the possibility thatwork has already begun on a sequel.
ViaMS Power User
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Darren is a freelancer writing news and features for TechRadar (and occasionally T3) across a broad range of computing topics including CPUs, GPUs, various other hardware, VPNs, antivirus and more. He has written about tech for the best part of three decades, and writes books in his spare time (his debut novel - ‘I Know What You Did Last Supper’ - was published by Hachette UK in 2013).
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