A patent filed by Microsoft hints at the 2018 release of a foldable device for business, with smart pen and digital ink
News about a new smartphone from the house of Microsoft is convulsing. The reality is that the American giant in the mobile sector has failed to make the final step to counter the Android and Apple dominance. The market, however, could be shaken by Andromeda, Microsoft's new foldable phone.
Most of the rumors about Andromeda come from a patent filed by Microsoft itself in early 2017. According to lab work done by the Redmond-based company, the device in addition to having a foldable display will use digital ink and a smart pen. This suggests that Andromeda could be a phablet designed for writing and for certain types of work. The curiosity of users right now is to understand if Microsoft's Andromeda will come out before or after the foldable smartphone announced by Samsung for 2018.
How will Andromeda
It is unlikely that the U.S. giant will be able to beat the South Korean company to the punch. Also because sources close to Microsoft let it be known that Andromeda might be ready only towards the end of 2018, in the best case. The name comes from the fact that the smartphone will be the company's first to run AndromedaOS. A next-generation operating system. On board the foldable smartphone we should find the Snapdragon 835 processor. The highlight of Andromeda will be the battery that should provide at least two days of use on a single charge. The phone will have the "Continue on PC" feature that allows you to transfer a document between Windows computer and smartphone with a few clicks. Among the preset apps designed for the office we'll find OneNote and Sway, the new PowerPoint more intuitive and easy to use. Obviously, every operation can also be carried out using Cortana, Microsoft's artificial intelligence.
Andromeda's photographic compartment
Thanks to some patents published by the USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office) it's possible to understand how Microsoft is moving with regards to Andromeda's camera. Being foldable, the position of the module for the photo sensor is of fundamental importance. To make sure that the camera is not obscured when the device is folded, Microsoft is working on three different solutions. The first is to mount two cameras (one on each side) that align when the device is open. The other two, instead, foresee that the camera module is thicker than the device's chassis and will fit when the user folds Andromed on itself.
Apps for Andromeda
New confirmations about Andromeda arrive via the Windows Store. Support for a new device named "8828080" has appeared for some applications. This series of numbers is the phone number of the Redmond company and according to some experts is used by Microsoft as a code name for the "Andromeda project". This new device is also present in quite famous applications developed by third-party companies, such as Spotify. This means that Microsoft is focused on the development of this foldable smartphone/agenda and that it might see the light of day very soon. Maybe even before 2019