Microsoft’s much-anticipated Surface Duo dual-screen foldable smartphone could be launching a bit sooner than expected. The device has officially been cleared by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), according to a report from Droid-Life.
Typically, before any electronic product such as a phone or tablet goes on sale in the United States, it needs to pass through the FCC due to certain regulatory and safety rules. In the case of the Surface Duo, the device was well hidden by Microsoft and referred to as a “phablet device” in FCC listings and paperwork. However, it has appeared to have recently “stopped through for all of its testing and certification glory,” according to Droid-Life.
It is also said that the Duo is currently in a “product validation stage” internally at Microsoft, which usually lasts a few weeks, per Windows Central. Combined with the fact that the FCC listing shows a confidentiality agreement until October 29, this hints a product launch could well come before the original promised launch date of holiday 2020. There also remains the possibility that pre-orders might also open up soon, as well.
Asides from the FCC listing hinting at a possible early product launch, it also provides some more details of the Duo. The listing shows the Duo as supporting all the major LTE bands in the United States, as well as 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi. It also has the model number “1903” and suggests the device will come with “Android Version 10.” Additionally, the FCC also demoed the Duo both folded and unfolded as part of routine heat tests.
Microsoft has remained quiet about the Surface Duo and hasn’t officially discussed official specifications of the foldable. Rumors indicate that the device would come with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor inside, along with options for 4GB or 6GB of RAM, and up to 256GB of onboard storage.
The battery meanwhile, is rumored to be rated at 3,460mAh, which is a bit below the 4,380mAh on the Samsung Galaxy Fold. There still won’t be 5G support, however, mainly due to the choice in processor. The camera also remains a topic of discussion and is rumored to be an 11-megapixel, front-facing camera with a 2.0 aperture.
Either way, a launch is likely coming soon. Microsoft employees like Frank Shaw, the head of communications for Microsoft, have recently been taking to social media to tease the device, showing how the Duo is used in their daily life. Even Panos Panay, the designer and visionary of the Duo has been posting about it recently, teasing the camera quality and showing off what appears to be a bumper-case.
Apple is less than a day away from launching its highly anticipated OLED MacBook Pro with a touch-sensitive screen. But it appears that the upgrade is going to cost a pretty penny. According to a report by Bloomberg, Apple is reportedly eyeing a starting price of $2,899 for the 14-inch MacBook Pro, while the 16-inch version could start at $3,399 in the US.
"At $2,899, the 14-inch model would mark the highest starting price for a new MacBook Pro model, surpassing the $2,799 Apple charged for a 17-inch version introduced in 2006," says the report. The report claims that Apple is targeting a minimum price hike of $400 for its upcoming redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.
I've spent a good amount of time digging into the spec sheet of the new M6 MacBook Pro (14-inch), and for all intents and purposes, this is a classic Apple "chip and connectivity" refresh. It's not a full redesign. The chassis, Liquid Retina XDR panel, speakers, ports, and battery, all of them carry over unchanged.
However, the M6 brings more cores, stronger on-device AI, higher memory bandwidth on the larger configs, and modern wireless. Here’s the practical rundown of what actually improved, and whether those gains are worth your money.
Two new highly requested iCloud plugins just got added to ChatGPT, giving people who rely on Apple’s Mail and Calendar services a way to search emails, check appointments, and manage their schedules directly through the chatbot.
The integration is rolling out to all ChatGPT plans, including the free tier. You can access it on the web, desktop, and iOS.