MSFT Windows News

Microsoft is working on adapting Windows to work on

foldable devices. Sources familiar with Microsoft’s plans

tell The Verge that the software maker is making foldable

devices and dual-screen hardware a big investment area

for both Windows and Surface. This investment includes

adapting Windows itself and its many built-in apps to work

across foldable displays and devices with dual screens.

While Microsoft has been experimenting with its own

hardware with dual-screens, codenamed Andromeda,

the company has also been working with Intel and other

OEMs to be ready for the next few years of experimentation.

PC makers famously developed a range of 2-in-1 devices for

Windows 8 more than five years ago, and we’re expecting to

see a similar effort for dual-screen and foldable devices for

Windows in the coming years.

Most of this work is related to Microsoft’s Composable Shell

(C-Shell) and Windows Core OS, a more modular version of

the existing Windows Shell that powers many parts of Windows

10 today. The first Windows 10 build (rs_shell_devices_

foldables) designed for foldable devices was spotted earlier this

week, revealing that Microsoft has a dedicated team working on

adapting its Windows shell for this new hardware. This should

come as no surprise to many Windows watchers, as Microsoft

has been gradually integrating more of its dual-screen work into

early Windows 10 builds in recent months.

We’ve only seen Microsoft’s secretive Windows Core OS work

appear on devices like the Surface Hub 2 so far, but hardware

like HoloLens 2 should also start to reveal more of how this new

modular Windows push will play out. Dual-screen and foldable

devices won’t be limited to Intel, either. Expect to see a range

of devices from PC makers that include ARM-powered chips.