Microsoft Surface Duo has a cool trick the Galaxy Fold 2 should steal

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The Microsoft Surface Duo's got a new take on phone notifications

The Microsoft Surface Duo's peak feature in action. Samsung and Apple should copy ASAP
(Image credit: @h0x0d via Twitter)

I'm an Apple guy, but the Microsoft Surface Duo just made me green with envy. Or at least one of its newly-revealed features, leaked by a Twitter tipster, made me wonder how Apple can figure out how to do something similar. And I bet Samsung Galaxy Fold owners would appreciate a similar feature.

Say you're out with some people, and trying to stay focused on the task at hand. But you're still addicted to the funnel of news coming from your devices. That's when a new "peak" feature comes in handy, displaying just a little bit of data — notifications and the time — on the right-hand display. 

This new take on notifications — keeping them hidden until you look — might make a ton of sense and help free people from their phone addiction. We thank Twitter's @h0x0d for leaking it out.

With this feature, you can become more aware and move on with your day, provided you crack the Duo open discretely.  Below, you can see how the "peek" mode will also let you check on an incoming call, which makes sense, since there's no outward facing screen to alert you to that.

For those unfamiliar with the Duo wondering how Windows could do this, Microsoft's foldable is actually an Android device. The foldable-device version of Android is already available to developers, and we've seen some cool uses of it that include easy multitasking and swiping apps from one screen to another.

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Henry T. Casey
Henry T. Casey
Managing Editor (Entertainment, Streaming)

Henry is a managing editor at Tom’s Guide covering streaming media, laptops and all things Apple, reviewing devices and services for the past seven years. Prior to joining Tom's Guide, he reviewed software and hardware for TechRadar Pro, and interviewed artists for Patek Philippe International Magazine. He's also covered the wild world of professional wrestling for Cageside Seats, interviewing athletes and other industry veterans.