The Surface Neo. (Microsoft Image)

Microsoft confirmed this week that it will pause development of its Windows 10X operating system for dual-screen devices and instead focus first on developing Windows 10X first for single-screen devices.

“With Windows 10X, we designed for flexibility, and that flexibility has enabled us to pivot our focus toward single-screen Windows 10X devices that leverage the power of the cloud to help our customers work, learn and play in new ways,” wrote Panos Panay, Microsoft’s chief product officer, in a blog post. “These single-screen devices will be the first expression of Windows 10X that we deliver to our customers, and we will continue to look for the right moment, in conjunction with our OEM partners, to bring dual-screen devices to market.”

The pivot was previously reported last month. Microsoft’s dual-screen Surface Neo device won’t be released this year as originally planned, but the company’s smaller dual-screen Surface Duo, running Android, is still on track for a 2020 release, according to a source familiar with the company’s plans.

The delay comes as Microsoft and others in the tech industry grapple with supply chain problems and business disruptions as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak around the world. It’s a setback in Microsoft’s larger efforts to popularize a new category of hinged dual-screen devices.

Panay noted that more than 4 trillion minutes are now being spent on Windows 10 per month amid the COVID-19 pandemic — that’s up 75% year-over-year.

Windows 10X will feature a new start menu, taskbar, interface, and more that aim to modernize and streamline the Windows operating system.

“Our customers are leveraging the power of the cloud more than ever, and we believe the time is right to lean into this acceleration in a different way,” Panay wrote in regard to the pivot.

Microsoft last week reported $35 billion in quarterly revenue, an increase of 15% from a year ago, as increased demand for its productivity, gaming and cloud technologies overcame the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on its Windows PC and advertising businesses.

Microsoft will host its annual Build developer conference virtually for the first time on May 19-21. The company is moving most of its external and internal events online due to the pandemic.

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