Microsoft has started taking orders for its Android-powered Surface Duo device. The folding phablet, originally announced in October last year, is being released in the USA on 10th September 2020. Pricing is from $1,399 for the 128GB version.

Opening like a book, the Microsoft Surface Duo has two 5.6-inch screens that can be used independently or together as a single 8.1-inch screen. This enables consumers to treat it as either a smartphone or a tablet. It's also possible to fold the device with one screen facing out.

Inside, the Surface Duo runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, offering 4G connectivity via a nanoSIM and up to 256GB of built-in storage.

Panos Panay, Microsoft's Chief Product Officer for Windows + Devices, wrote in a blog post: "As a company, we are focused on delivering purposeful innovation – pushing the boundaries of existing categories to not just move technology forward, but to move people forward. So, with Surface Duo, we didn’t focus our energy on the places the industry is already advancing – processors and networks will get faster, and cameras will get better with or without us. Instead, we went after something. As with any new category or form factor, people will find it fits into their lives and workflows in different ways. When we launched Surface Pro, not everyone believed a tablet could truly replace their laptop, until it did. It takes patience and conviction to do something different. We’ve been doing that for over seven years now at Surface and many of you have been on the journey with us. For the Surface fans, Microsoft 365 fans and Android fans who are ready to take that next step with us, we can’t wait for you to experience Surface Duo."