Rumor: Microsoft’s Andromeda Project Is ‘Pocket-sized Surface Device’

In an internal Microsoft email, accessed by The Verge, the company refers to its Andromeda project as a “pocket-sized surface device.” According to sources from the site, it looks like renders that have come out before.

The Verge quotes a sentence from the email that speaks of a new “pocketable Surface device form factor,” or a pocket-sized device, that “brings together innovative new hardware and software to enable a personalized and versatile computing experience.” The Verge further writes that the device has a screen that extends over two halves separated by a hinge, and that there is no gap between the screen halves when unfolded.

The current engineering samples of the device would therefore be identical to renders made in 2017 by David Breyer based on Microsoft patents. Microsoft would further experiment with a stylus and with apps to take notes. The company is also experimenting with an Arm processor, according to The Verge, but would not have made a choice between Intel or Qualcomm yet. Sources would claim that Microsoft can decide to stop the Andromeda project at any time.

The Redmond company is set to release the device this year, followed by some of its OEMs. There have been rumors about the Andromeda project for some time, the most recent rumor claimed that the device will be equipped with a calling function. In May, a game was released that contained references to an ‘Andromeda OS’.

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