Here’s something quirky I stumbled on the other day—so apparently, the Surface Duo, you know that dual-screen thingy from Microsoft? Well, it had a totally different story before it became the gadget we see today. Picture this — back in 2017, it was initially a Windows Phone. Yeah, it’s like one of those secrets everyone kinda knows about but doesn’t really talk about. Anyway, some new pics have popped up, and they’re giving us a glimpse into what might have been. Spoiler: it’s called Andromeda. Sounds spacey, right?
So, Andromeda was supposed to kick off a new era of Windows phones, like something out of a sci-fi movie. It had its own custom OS all set up for this dual-screen magic. But, and here’s the kicker, it got scrapped in 2018 after all sorts of snags and hiccups. Microsoft then did a bit of a remix and out came the Surface Duo we have now. But oh man, the original Andromeda was on a whole different vibe.
The idea behind Andromeda was pretty out there—it was a pocket notebook slash phone, and they put a heavy focus on scribbling with a pen, which is kinda neat when you think about it. In a world full of swipe and tap, they wanted you to doodle away. Who decided that was a game-changer? Makes you wonder.
Oh, and the photos were found on this platform — GooFish. Yeah, never heard of it either. They show these prototype devices from 2017 and 2018 in all kinds of conditions—some look beaten up like they’ve seen things, others are still ticking. These show us how Andromeda was different from what we see in the Surface Duo lineup. It had a camera on the back, wireless charging for the pen, and this metal frame that gave it some serious premium feels. The Surface Duo, by comparison, was kinda like the watered-down version in terms of bling, if that makes sense.
The story goes that Microsoft wanted the Surface Duo light as a feather, so they ditched the metal for plastic. Can’t argue with them there—plastic is lighter. But turns out, it’s not as durable, which led to USB-C ports cracking. Ouch. Andromeda, though, had these cool smaller hinges and a secondary camera thingy to scan 3D objects. Yeah, Microsoft was on this 3D kick back then, all tied into their HoloLens hype train.
There were also the really early prototypes, which looked different again. They had this narrow, tall shape, and the exterior was kinda like fabric. Had a journal-like charm, if you ask me.
As for the software, this planned OS was supposed to be epic. Built on the new Windows Core OS, it had this unique shell just for dual screens. The home screen was like a digital diary, always ready for your doodles or random notes. You had apps running around, accessed by swiping. It’s like they were aiming for a zen of tech and paper.
Now, Cortana was quite the multitasker, being the assistant and the notification center. And the lock screen? Pure art canvas waiting for your strokes.
But alas, this was more of a dream than reality—the whole thing got canned before anything was really polished. Who knows how it might have turned out if they had finished it? I caught onto Andromeda way back in 2017 and it was a wild ride following its journey—or derailment, whichever way you see it. Not many saw this, but it really marked the end of Windows Phone, didn’t it? They were pulling the plug on Windows 10 Mobile and Andromeda was supposed to take over.
It’s a wild story, and when you think about it, makes you wonder—would the original Andromeda have been a smash hit? Let me know what you think.
