Coronavirus kills hopes of a 2020 release for the Surface Neo and any Windows 10X devices

If you have bought into the Microsoft hardware ecosystem over the years, the news that the company has kicked the Surface Neo into the long grass will probably not come as a surprise. For those who have not been weathered by the demise of Lumia, Zune or Windows Mobile, Microsoft has apparently not set a new date on when it will release the Surface Neo.

According to Mary Jo Foley of ZDNet, Microsoft has changed tack to "reflect the new world" of virtualisation and single-screen devices. Seemingly this "new world" refers to the coronavirus pandemic. Not only has Microsoft pushed the Surface Neo indefinitely, but it is also preventing OEMs from shipping dual-screen Windows 10X devices this year, too.

Foley is less clear on whether single-screen Windows 10X devices will arrive this year. However, the implication is that they have been delayed, too. The Android-based Surface Duo is still tracking for later this year, though. Additionally, we may see some Windows 10X features arriving in Windows 10 later this year, too.

Hopefully, the Surface Neo does not go the way of the Microsoft Courier. We doubt that it will, but we still do not know why Microsoft announces hardware a year before its release.