Microsoft may have plans for a future dual-screen Surface device in which the two screens are connected by a magnetic hinge. The patent filed with the USPTO (as seen by Windows Latest) details what Microsoft describes as a "virtual magnetic hinge" that spans the length of the two displays (in at least one implementation), and provides a convenient and secure to join the two screens, facilitating 180 degree rotation.
![Patente de Microsoft]()
(Image credit: USPTO / Freepatentsonline.com) The idea is for the two screens to snap together easily, as is the case with existing Microsoft Surface devices that already use magnetic connections for the screen and keyboard parts, such as the models Surface Book and Surface Pro. Furthermore, Microsoft outlines a transparent implementation of this concept, as no element of the hinge mechanism will be visible to the user, and in fact, the two screens can be used separately (as individual tablets, so say it). As the patent clearly shows: "The magnetic hinge assembly creates paired devices that function as if they were hinged, even if they are not mechanically connected and there is no visible hinge element and the user can separate and reattach the parts of the device." whenever ".
Magnetic advantages
The magnetic hinge would also offer other advantages over a physical mechanism, reducing the gap between the two screens and reducing the possibility of dust or other debris entering the hinge and interfering with its operation. It's an interesting preview of a possible future Surface device, but as always with any patent, the concept may not make it past the exploration or research phase, or may never see the light of day in a finished product. What we do know is that Microsoft has a few dual-screen devices on the way, one of which may emerge in the very near future, rumor has it the Surface Duo, though the larger Surface Neo (running Windows 10X) isn't expected. through 2021 now (initially these two devices were meant to debut in late 2020).