Summary
- Microsoft pioneered the dual-screen mobile form factor with its unsuccessful Surface Duo and Neo hardware endeavors.
- The dual-screen concept makes a remarkable amount of sense when applied to the e-reader product category.
- With new Amazon hardware on the horizon, and with ex-Microsoft chief product officer Panos Panay at the helm, the time is right for a Surface Duo-style Kindle e-reader to hit the scene.
For many years now, Amazon has stood as one of the biggest players within the consumer e-reader market. The company’s line of Kindle tablets, as well as its broader Kindle software ecosystem, have made the brand synonymous with digital book reading.
The very first Kindle launched all the way back in late 2007, and while this first-generation product was rough around the edges, it laid the groundwork for every future Kindle release. The device’s keyboard and navigation buttons would give way to a touch screen interface in future hardware revisions, but the slab-shaped form factor would stick around for the long haul.
I can’t help but feel that it’s time for Amazon to take the Kindle in an exciting new direction.
It’s easy to see why Amazon settled on a compact tablet-esque form factor for its future Kindle offerings: the size roughly approximates that of a medium-sized book, and it’s easy to hold the device and turn pages with only one hand.
It’s for this reason that today’s latest Kindle models — whether we’re talking about the Paperwhite, the Colorsoft, or even the base edition — all follow this same basic design principle. While I’m generally a firm believer in the old saying ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,’ I can’t help but feel that it’s time for Amazon to take the Kindle in an exciting new direction: a dual-screen direction.
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The time is right for a dual-screen Kindle shakeup
With Panos Panay at the helm, and a hardware launch on the horizon, the stars seem to be aligning
Amazon recently sent out invitations for an upcoming February 26 product event, which will be hosted by Panos Panay, head of Devices and Services at the company. Much of the pre-announcement hype has been focused on new Alexa-powered smart home products, but I have my hopes up for a Kindle cameo or two.
The reason I’m bullish on the release of a dual-screen Kindle comes down to the fact that Panay, who joined Amazon in late 2023, brings with him years of mobile device experience through his tenure at Microsoft. It was under Panay, who previously served as executive vice president and chief product officer at Microsoft, that a bold dual-screen vision came to fruition in the form of the Surface Duo and the Surface Neo.
Microsoft would never launch the Neo, and it would kill off the Duo after the second generation failed to move units.
While Panay was quick to point out the utility and benefits brought on by two screens on a single mobile device, both the Duo and the Neo suffered an untimely demise. Microsoft would never launch the Neo, and it would kill off the Duo after the second generation failed to move units. Soon after, Panay departed for greener pastures over at Amazon.
And with that, Microsoft appears to have lost interest in its previous dual-screen ambitions. However, I feel the time is right for Amazon to swoop in and fulfill the vision of a mobile device with two screens, appropriating the concept for a new generation of Kindle e-readers.
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The Surface Duo’s form factor is ideal for e-reading
Simply put, two screens are better than one
Microsoft
Intuitively, the concept of a dual-screen e-reader makes a lot of sense. The Surface Duo’s form factor, with its rotating hinge and two bespoke display panels, approximates the form factor of a physical book better than just about any other mobile device does.
Unlike a slab-style e-reader, a theoretical dual-screen Kindle would display one E Ink page on the left screen and another on the right screen. You’d be able to hold the device in your hands as you would an open book and shut it closed when you’ve completed your reading session.
Intuitively, the concept of a dual-screen e-reader makes a lot of sense.
Best of all, dual-screen mobile devices don’t suffer from the fragility issues of single-screen foldables — the two separate screens can be made of traditional tempered glass, and IP68 water and dust ingress protection can be implemented without worry. In other words, you’d still be able to bring a Duo-shaped Kindle to the beach, which is an important consideration when shopping for any e-reader.
A dual-screen Kindle wouldn’t have to sacrifice on the one-handed usability front, either. If the device were designed similarly to the first-generation Duo (that is, without a rear camera module), then the entire unit would be 180 degrees-swivelable for a more traditional ‘slab-style’ reading experience on command.
If the company really wants to, I bet it’d be capable of engineering the most enticing e-reader since the days of the original Kindle.
A Surface Duo-inspired Kindle makes all the sense in the world, and then some. Whether such a device will ultimately come to fruition depends on whether Amazon is willing to take a risk with its Kindle brand. If the company really wants to, I bet it’d be capable of engineering the most enticing e-reader since the days of the original Kindle.
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