When Microsoft’s Panos Panay took to the stage late last year to introduce the world to the Surface Duo, ‘the holidays 2020’ was announced as the retail launch. For many, including myself, that suggested a fourth quarter appearance for the dual-screened Android-powered device.

Now it looks like we’ll be seeing the revolutionary device in the next few weeks. Let’s look at the clues that are building up towards a surprising release date.

Lets start with the paperwork. The Surface Duo has picked up a number of certifications in the last few weeks, including from the US FCC and variants for Canada and Japan. As well as the regulatory details, you also have Google’s all-important Android Compatibility Test Suite that opens up a number of critically important features:

"Arguably this is a formality for an Android device, but the certification is vital for another part of the Android ecosystem that the public is familiar. Google Mobile Services - which is required to have the Google Play Store (and other associated services such as Youtube) - has ‘Android Compatibility’ as part of its requirements.”

Then there’s the visuals, because we also have new images from the device. The PR materials have leaked via a US carrier - the Surface team may have pushed the line that the Surface Duo is not a phone heavily, but it still has a cellular data connection. Jon Fingas for Engadget:

“Well-known leaker Evan Blass has shared …a batch of renders for the Surface Duo while claiming the dual-screen Android device will launch with AT&T. He didn’t provide release details or pricing, but it’s safe to say that monthly payments could make it easier to justify the unique clamshell device.”

Finally, perhaps the biggest signal comes from long-term Microsoft commentator Paul Thurrott. As well as noting the leaked press material, he also highlighted the briefings that will be taking place in the next week:

"As I noted on Twitter myself, Microsoft MVPs were invited to attend a virtual Surface briefing, presumably for Duo, on August 12."

There’s a lot of information out there, and none of them have a specific date that says ‘The Surface Duo will launch on this date’, but the momentum is building and the moment is close.

Source: Forbes

 

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Android 11 beta release has been delayed to next month. Google has released the Android 11 Developer Preview 4, and has updated its rollout roadmap to announce that the beta updates have been postponed. The first Android beta update will be released in June, instead of the planned May release. Google is hosting an event called ‘Android 11: The Beta Launch Show' on June 3 to introduce new features for Android 11. The event will begin at 11 am ET (8.45 pm NST) and will be held online. It will detail all the new features and tweaks coming with the next big software update.

With Google I/O cancelled this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, the company is looking to host this online show to introduce the Android 11 to the world. The ‘Android 11: The Beta Show' trailer has been released, and apart from outlining the software update, Google has teased that it will introduce a ‘host of other things' as well. On June 3, Google will unveil Android 11 features related to connectivity, control, safety, security, productivity, and accessibility.

As mentioned, the ‘Android 11: The Beta Launch Show' will begin at 11 am ET (8.45 pm NST) and end at 12 pm ET (9.45 pm NST). This one-hour event will also include a Q&A session with Google's Android VP, Engineering, Dave Burke and Senior Director of Product Management, Stephanie Cuthbertson. To ask questions during this session, users can tweet their queries with the hashtag #AskAndroid.

While the trailer mostly talks about Android 11 beta release, it also hints at an upcoming phone launch alongside, and if we were to speculate, it could be the mid-year Pixel 4a. The video trailer suggests that the event will see the launch other things as well, and then shows a picture of a phone on a newspaper cutting. 

Google has also dropped the fourth Android 11 developer preview for Pixel phones. Google was meant to end its developer preview releases in April and start with beta releases in May, but that has been now been postponed. The tech giant has delayed the launch of Android 11 beta updates to June. The first Android 11 beta is now slated to roll out on June 3, soon after the launch. The Android 11 Beta 2 is listed to now launch in July, while the Android 11 Beta 3 will be released in August. Google pegs the final release of Android 11 to be sometime in Q3 2020.

The Android 11 Developer Preview 4 is an incremental update for stability and performance to help developers plan final testing and releases. Pixel phone users on the Developer Preview 3 will receive Android 11 Developer Preview 4 over-the-air (OTA). The builds for all Pixel phones are also listed on the download page. Because this is an early build, it may be prone to several bugs.

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Tech giant Microsoft has launched the Family Safety app, designed to help protect a family's digital and physical safety.
The new screen time and parental controls app help you customize your kids' web access and balance healthy screen times. The application is available on iOS and Android.

"Introducing the Family Safety app. Customize your kids' web access, balance healthy screen times, and stay connected to what matters most--all in one place. Available on iOS and Android," Microsoft tweeted.

"Over the past few months, I have been using the preview with my family, and it has been a game-changer! As a kid, my two favourite things to do after school were to ride my bike and play soccer with my neighbourhood friends. Nowadays, my kids are always on their devices, whether playing video games with their friends, on social media or learning remotely. Today, I am excited to share with you how any family worried about their kids’ online safety can benefit from the Microsoft Family Safety app and how it has helped us to create healthier habits for my kids, while also giving my wife and me peace of mind," Liat Ben-Zur, Corporate Vice President, Modern Life, Search, and Devices, Microsoft, said in a statement.

With the help of the Family Safety app, one can use web and search filters to block adult content and set browsing to kid-friendly websites with either allowed or blocked websites list.

This feature helps in maintaining healthy digital habits and works in a tight concert with the Microsoft Edge browser on Windows, Xbox, and Android.

Source:(ANI)

 

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