Less than a month away from the launch of Microsoft's first cell phone in years, the Surface Duo, Windows Central has learned from sources that the dual-screen phone will be available the week of August 24.

The news comes after the Surface Duo has not been particularly camera shy in recent weeks, appearing in videos sent directly from Microsoft, photos of Microsoft employees using it, and regulatory certification documents. The device was reportedly ready ahead of schedule, as it was originally slated to launch at the end of 2020.

This is also surprising given that Microsoft's Windows 10X devices (such as the dual-screen Surface Neo) have been delayed until at least 2021. In fact, the latest rumors surrounding the Neo indicate that it may not ship until spring 2022, which is a major setback considering that Redmond announced the tablet at the very same event where it first showed off the Surface Duo last October.

We are particularly interested in how the Surface Duo has evolved over its nearly year-long development process. When we first heard about the Surface Duo, Microsoft said it had a Snapdragon 855 processor combined with 6GB of RAM and a single 11 megapixel camera.

It is quite possible that the hardware has been updated somewhat in the meantime to maintain parity with the latest flagship Android phones like the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 20. If not, one would hope that at least the Duo's price reflects that.

In any case, we look forward to picking up the Surface Duo and seeing what Microsoft's vision of mobile computing looks like these days; it's been a while since the Surface maker has shown off a smartphone, and some aspects of the Duo look a bit dated (such as the two 5.6-inch screens in a row instead of the latest foldable panel), but Microsoft will be able to convince us with clever software and use cases that will make Android a productivity powerhouse.

Most of all, it will be interesting to see how the Surface Duo compares to Samsung's more professional, work-focused Galaxy flagship devices like the Note 20 and Galaxy Z Fold 2, which will be announced on August 5. It will be a fun end to the summer.