Hello, my name is Michael, and I’m a multi-monitor addict. If I don’t have at least three screens in front of me at all times, I feel like I’m not being productive enough. It’s gotten so bad that I’ve taken to packing a portable monitor along with my laptop—but maybe if I get this new dual-screen design from GPD, I won’t have to anymore.
You might recognize GPD as the China-based manufacturer of neat little gaming emulator devices. In recent years, they’ve branched out into full laptop designs, albeit smaller ones with game controls attached.
The GPD Duo is a radical departure, both from the company’s bread and butter and conventional laptop designs. The big news is that it sports two 13.3-inch OLED displays that are stacked one on top of the other.
We’ve seen a few dual-screen laptop designs lately—including the Lenovo Yoga Book 9i we reviewed last month—but these have essentially been standard clamshell laptops with the keyboard portion replaced with a second screen and a detached keyboard making up the difference. GPD takes its Duo in a different direction, with a secondary screen hinged above the first one while keeping the keyboard section intact.
It makes for a club sandwich of a laptop, with three body sections connected with two sets of (hopefully very sturdy) hinges. The secondary screen is suitable for a dual-screen setup with one on top of the other, or you can fold the screen back for mirroring and showing someone behind you. VideoCardz reports that the base is a counterweight, but what that means for actual weight isn’t mentioned.
Other hardware details are scarce, though GPD’s Twitter post says that the folded-up laptop is “the size of an A4 sheet of paper” (that’s 8.27 x 11.69 inches or 210 x 297 mm) and that the 10-point touchscreens are compatible with the Surface Pen stylus.
What’s powering all this? A Ryzen setup like GPD’s recent mini laptops, an Intel alternative, or a newer Snapdragon or other Arm setup? No idea! And there’s no indication of a price, either.
That last point might just be the most variable. GPD’s portable gaming PCs and mini laptops range from $550 to over $1,200 while dual-screen designs from Asus and Lenovo are $1,500 and $2,000, respectively. We’re dealing with a very wide range here, and GPD tends to launch new designs on Indiegogo. Hopefully more information will be available soon.
Author: Michael Crider, Staff Writer
Michael is a former graphic designer who’s been building and tweaking desktop computers for longer than he cares to admit. His interests include folk music, football, science fiction, and salsa verde, in no particular order.