Microsoft has been busy planning new entries to its Surface range, including the Surface Duo and Neo. Unfortunately for fans of the Microsoft Surface Neo, its rough release date has been silently dropped from the Microsoft website.

We can make an educated guess as to why the Surface Neo has been delayed. However, Microsoft hasn't confirmed anything officially at the time of writing.

When Did the Microsoft Surface Neo Release Date Vanish?

Microsoft didn't make an official announcement on any of its channels about the possible delay. However, the company did edit the Surface Neo product page. If you use The Wayback Machine to view the page from July 28, you'll find that the first paragraph ends with "coming Holiday 2020."

The Surface Neo product page before the delay

However, if you visit the Surface Neo product page now, the date has disappeared.

The Surface Neo product page after the delay

While this isn't direct confirmation from Microsoft, it's safe to assume the Surface Neo won't be coming out as soon as Microsoft hoped it would.

Why Has the Microsoft Surface Neo Been Delayed?

Given that there was no official announcement from Microsoft on this delay, we don't have confirmation on why it happened. However, it's safe to assume that the current COVID-19 pandemic caused issues.

Technology manufacturers rely on China as one of the top electronics exporters in the world. Unfortunately, China was at the epicenter of the pandemic, which caused delays for a lot of these companies. As such, there's a good chance that Microsoft did not get all the components it needed to meet the Surface Neo's release window.

It's important to note, however, that this setback only affects the Surface Neo. Microsoft's other future entry in the series, the Surface Duo, has not suffered any delays.

Windows Central reported a tweet that pinned the Surface Duo's release date to August 24, 2020. If that turns out to be a rumor, you can instead rely on Microsoft's Surface Duo product page, which points to "holiday 2020."

Preparing for New Microsoft Surface Devices

While the Surface Duo has reportedly escaped delays, the Neo was not so lucky. Which means you'll have to wait a little longer before you can get hold of a Surface Neo.

While you wait for the Surface Duo or Surface Neo to release, why not check out the best Microsoft Store apps you could install on it?