The Microsoft Surface Duo dual-screen Android-powered device appears to be gearing up for launch, as it has been registered with the FCC and appeared on the Bluetooth SIG's certification page

Microsoft plans to launch the Surface Duo at the end of the year, but recent rumors suggest that it will be available in the summer 9to5Google also reported that the new listing means that the Surface Duo could be released soon in the US, and that such listings appear regularly just before an electronic device launch

If it does indeed launch this summer, the Surface Duo would bring a rather odd dual-screen foldable device to market Microsoft is not calling it a phone, but preview videos show that it can make calls and runs on an improved version of Android

Microsoft seems to envision it as a companion device to Windows 10 laptops and PCs, with a heavily modified version of Android designed to provide a pseudo-mobile Windows 10 dual-screen experience, Surface Duo videos and images showcase a number of Microsoft productivity apps

Microsoft is developing Windows 10X, a version of Windows 10 reworked to work on dual-screen devices; the Surface Duo is expected to use Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 series chips Surface Duo is expected to use Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 series chips

Unlike the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Fold 2, the Surface Duo will not feature a foldable display, but rather two separate screens connected by a slim, clean-looking hinge This should make it much more durable than previous phones with folding screens

Other specs and features have yet to be revealed However, the Surface Duo will include a selfie camera that can be swiveled efficiently using a hinge to move the camera away from the user It will also feature a new slim Surface Pen for those who want to take more precise notes or doodle on the phone screen

With Samsung's Galaxy Note 20, Pixel 4a, and iPhone 12 scheduled to launch in the coming months, the Surface Duo will have a lot of competition for attention However, it will hold its own because it is quite different from these devices One can only hope that Microsoft has nailed the software experience that makes such a foldable device feel like a worthy purchase