Microsoft experimented with various innovations for its entry into the foldable device segment, but not all of them ended up in the market. This was the case with the Surface Neo, a tablet that was announced and later cancelled.

Another of the models with which the Redmond firm experimented was a Surface Duo Mini that appeared on eBay, including the images you see in the item. Codenamed ‘Chronos’, it is a lighter and cheaper version of the Surface Duo 2 smartphone. It was supposed to be released this year, but it was finally canceled in order to invest all efforts in the next generation foldable for 2023.

The Surface Duo Mini has significantly lowered the design and performance levels of the regular model to lower the selling price and bring it closer to mass consumption. Its chassis was made of polycarbonate compared to the magnesium alloy commonly used in all Surfaces.

It featured less of a camera bump, a slightly more rounded exterior design with a matte finish, and flat rather than curved screens. Its internal engine was Qualcomm’s mid-range Snapdragon, certainly without support for 5G broadband networks.

It is clear that the whole focus of this “Mini” was aimed at reducing the final selling price of the device. And I was still using Android and not Windows Mobile, which some are sighing for.

Lower the price It’s an unresolved issue that applies to the rest of the segment as well. The new generation of folding devices with dual or flexible screens are fantastic and the most advanced in the mobile market, but their high price keeps them away from mass consumption.

Samsung absolutely dominates the market with two different lines, including the Galaxy Z Fold4, which is without a doubt the best folding phone on the market. The new versions, which will be announced in August, do not look like they will lower the price level. But the arrival of the foldable iPhone is only a matter of time and can turn the market around. Apple cannot allow Samsung to monopolize the new folding screen formats or dual screens, which – without achieving massive sales due to their high price – follow a larger number of consumers with each new generation that comes to market.

The Surface Duo Mini could have been a good entry-level model for access to mass consumption, but like the other devices, it definitely fell flat in development. We do not rule out that Microsoft and other manufacturers bet on this type of versions in the future.