Microsoft developing a foldable tablet for digital note-taking - report

Microsoft is reportedly working on a foldable tablet with a focus on digital note-taking, according to recent leaks.

The device, codenamed 'Andromeda', is supposedly a spiritual successor to the cancelled Microsoft Courier from several years ago. Sources told Windows Central that the prototype is based on Windows Core OS and runs Windows 10, with an ARM processor instead of an Intel chip.

Leaked information indicates that Andromeda is based primarily around note-taking, with support for styluses and the Windows Ink pen features. It will also run UWP (Universal Windows Platform) apps, although there's no confirmation at present whether or not it will be able to run Win32 programs.

While the product will apparently be able to make and receive texts and phone calls, sources said that Microsoft is not aiming to create a smartphone-style device. Instead, Andromeda will occupy its own separate category, aimed at users who want a note-taking device in addition to their phone or laptop.

Microsoft is supposedly planning to release Andromeda in 2018 at the earliest, and the device will likely become part of its Surface range. Unlike Apple, Google and Samsung, Microsoft's first-party hardware stable currently lacks a small form-factor portable device - a category that is becoming increasingly popular as a work device within the business space thanks to products like the iPad Pro.

Little concrete information is known about Andromeda other than the rough concept - there is no information regarding its price, hardware specifications, dimensions or design. Assuming it doesn't get cancelled, expect details to continue slowly leaking out until its eventual release.