Surface Solo concept renders show what Microsoft could do if it started making smartphones again

First-generation products rarely land, especially those that introduce a new form factor. Unsurprisingly then, the Surface Duo has left many reviewers unimpressed, principally because of the buggy software experience. However, what if Microsoft build a conventional smartphone under its Surface brand as it did in the laptop market with the Surface Laptop? Well, industrial designer Jonas Daehnert has done precisely that with his latest set of concept renders.

Dubbed the Surface Solo, Daehnert has taken inspiration from the clean design of the Surface Duo while adapting it to suit a form factor that we are most used to seeing. Unsurprisingly, the Surface logo plays a prominent role on the back panel of the Solo, which Daehnert has complemented with a single rear-facing camera and an LED flash cluster. The minimalist look extends to the front too with the inclusion of a single front-facing camera and uniform bezels. It looks like Daehnert has also brought across the fingerprint scanner from the Surface Duo instead of going for the increasingly-popular in-screen variant.

Overall, the Surface Solo resembles a blend of the back of the Pixel 3 without the fingerprint scanner and the front of the Galaxy S20. Sadly, it seems unlikely that Microsoft will ever release something akin to the Surface Solo. Daehnert's concept renders show how else Microsoft could use the design language of the Surface Duo though should the company plan to release more Android smartphones in the future.