Microsoft equips Surface Duo with unique feature for notifications, as per leaked video

In 2019, Microsoft shocked the tech industry during its Surface Event presentation. Along with the usual annual hardware refresh, were two dual-display products that caught consumers' attention. The bigger one was the Surface Neo, which ran on Windows 10X (a new version of the operating system for dual-screen systems). Then there was the Surface Duo, which was a smartphone that surprisingly used Android instead. Little is known about the latter but a new leak might have revealed an interesting feature called "Peek."

Compared to iOS, Android is a more flexible operating system that can be tweaked to add new functionality. As such, it seems that Microsoft's engineers have played around with the upcoming dual-touchscreen handset. While nothing official has been announced related to its features, an alleged leak was posted on social media that teases how the device could handle notifications.

Twitter user WalkingCat (@h0x0d) posted a short clip that apparently shows the Surface Duo in action. It appears to be taken from a demonstration video that is yet to be edited for a presentation.

The footage shows how Microsoft developed a workaround for the device's lack of an external display. Android Authority points out that users should be able to use the Peek feature that shows all notifications without fully opening the handset.

Just as the name suggests, this lets the owner of the device partially lift one side and the notifications will populate in a condensed format on whichever side is on the bottom. Users can seemingly scroll through the lists and dismiss items with a swipe much like how most Android devices work.

Unlike foldable smartphones such as the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip, Samsung Galaxy Fold, Motorola Razr, and Royole FlexPai, it does not use a flexible display. All of the aforementioned units sport a secondary touchscreen, which keeps users from opening the handset to check for notifications and messages.

Given the fragile nature of foldable screens, this is a logical solution to improve durability. The Surface Duo, on the other hand, features two displays that are interconnected via a proprietary 360-degree hinge mechanism. Hence, with no external display, Peek seems to be a unique alternative.