Rumor: Microsoft postpones sale of Andromeda project until 2019

Andromeda, a small Surface device that can be folded in half, is said to have been postponed by Microsoft until next year. The company seems to want to wait until suitable hardware is available.

The rumors come from Thurrott sources. According to the sources, Microsoft believes that the hardware and software of the device is not yet at the level of the rest of the Surface line. This would have led to the device being postponed for the time being.

A major reason for the delay was that once the Andromeda project was completed, it could only be equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835-soc, a chip that turned out not to be fast enough to provide a pleasant user experience. Presumably, Microsoft is waiting for the Snapdragon 1000, which is being made specifically for Windows devices and should be released this year.

Thurrott’s sources indicate the Andromeda project will be completely redesigned, leaving the device no earlier than 2019, likely later that year. According to the sources, Microsoft sees the Surface line as a premium brand and fears that if Andromeda flops, it could affect sales of its other Surface products as well.

Project Andromeda is set to become the smallest device in the Surface line. The device has a screen that extends over two halves and can be folded in half, so that it can be put in a pocket. When folded in half, there should be no gap between the two screens. Rumor has it that it could also be used to make calls.

renders by David Breyer. According to The Verge, current Andromeda engineering samples resemble this.