The Microsoft Surface Duo arriving September
The bad news is it’s US-only for now.
Arecent Microsoft blog post (see fave.co/3gtjesY) brought both good and bad news for those waiting for its dual-screen smartphone – the Surface Duo. The good news is that it will ship September 10. The bad news is that initially it will only be available to buy in the US, with a UK release thought to be some way off. It’s also very expensive.
Microsoft will be charging $1,399 (around £1,050) for the base configuration of its dual-screen Duo with 128GB of storage (add $100 for
256GB). You’re not getting much for your money other than the pleasure of being first. It has last year’s topof-the-line Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor, just 6GB of RAM, a relatively small 3577mAh battery and a single 11MP camera. It’s also heavy at 250g and not all that pocketable at 145.2x93.3x9.9mm (versus 164.8x77.2x8.1mm for the Galaxy Note20 Ultra). It’s more like a tiny touchscreen laptop than a phone, though you can use it to make calls.
But with Android 10 onboard rather than Windows – even a heavily skinned and specified version – the Surface Duo’s competition will be the latest luxury Android phones. On that note, the Duo costs more than the just-released £1,179 Galaxy Note20 Ultra (see page 18), even though it has less-powerful specs. The Surface Slim Pen, which seems central to the experience, costs extra and can’t be stored on the device. The Duo also doesn’t support 5G, Wi-Fi 6, nor will it have an NFC chip for contactless payments. To start, it will be limited to United States customers and will work on all three major carriers.
Its design is certainly interesting, though. Rather than a true folding display, the Surface Duo opens to a pair of 1,800x1,350 AMOLED displays with a 4:3 aspect ratio. Together, they total 8.1 inches of screen space and work more like a multi-monitor desktop set-up than a single screen. For example, when you tap a link on one side, it’ll open on the other screen. It supports a variety of unique dual-screen features, including drag-and-drop and split-screen multitasking. Structurally, the Surface Duo lacks an outer screen like the Galaxy Z, so you’ll need to open it up to use it. There’s a 360-degree hinge for folding it back like a Chromebook
THE FOLDING FUTURE
While its concept might have seemed novel last year, Microsoft’s Surface Duo joins a growing line-up of folding phones, including the Galaxy Z Fold 2, Galaxy Z Flip and Motorola Razr. Additionally, the LG Velvet has a Dual Screen accessory that turns it into a Surface Duo-like device with a second screen when opened.
However, Microsoft isn’t trying to compete with the folding Android phones of the world. Calling it “the next wave of mobile productivity”, Microsoft is touting the Surface Duo’s ability to switch between Android apps and Microsoft 365, as well as its strong security – the company says that it wrote and reviewed “every line of firmware code in house” – as integral to the experience. In an enterprise-oriented blog post, Microsoft also pointed out the Duo’s ability to integrate with Microsoft Intune for managing multiple devices through the cloud.
But even as an enterprise device, the Surface Duo has a steep mountain to climb. Considering you can get a Surface Pro 7 for £699 from fave.co/3j9Z1u7, the Surface Duo is a pricey boutique device that doesn’t seem to be all that convenient. Even if you can fit it in your pocket, you’ll need to open it to use it or even see who’s calling. Its size and lack of an outer screen will make simple things like taking pictures more difficult than other phones. And it remains to be seen how well the Duo will process photos and videos compared to other Android phones, even single-camera ones like the Google Pixel 4a (see page 73).
Microsoft has built a device that plays by its own rules, but it’s breaking many of the conventions we take for granted along with way. 5G isn’t a necessity yet, but it will be in a couple of years. In a post-Covid-19 world, not being able to use your phone to make payments is going to feel antiquated. And the lack of wireless charging in a thousand pound phone is a major disappointment.
But one thing is clear: Microsoft is finally back in the phone game with the Surface Duo, and Windows and Android fans alike should take notice. Even if they don’t buy one right away.
SPECIFICATIONS
• Unfolded: 8.1in (2,700x1,800; 401ppi) Dual PixelSense Fusion Displays; Folded: 5.6in (1,800x1,350; 401ppi) Single PixelSense Display
• Android 10
• Qualcomm SM8150 Snapdragon 855 (7nm) processor
• Octa-core (1x 2.84GHz Kryo 485, 3x 2.42GHz Kryo 485, 4x 1.78GHz Kryo 485) CPU
• Adreno 640 GPU
• 6GB RAM
• 128GB/256GB storage
• Rear-facing camera: 11Mp, f/2.0, 23mm (wide), 1.0–m, PDAF
• Selfie camera: Uses main camera
• 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi dual-band • Bluetooth 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX Adaptive
• GPS with A-GPS
• NFC
• USB 3.1, Type-C 1.0 reversible connector
• Fingerprint scanner (side mounted)
• Non-removable 3,577mAh lithiumpolymer battery
• Unfolded: 186.9x145.2x4.8mm; Folded: 145.2x93.3x9.9mm
• 250g