Hands-On With Microsoft's $1,400 'Surface Duo' Dual Display Smartphone

[MacRumors]

As Apple prepares to unveil its new iPhone 12 lineup next month, Microsoft has launched the $1,400 Surface Duo, a foldable smartphone that offers two displays and is quite different from anything Apple has to offer.

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We've checked out a few foldable smartphones like Samsung's Galaxy Fold and Galaxy Z Flip, so we thought we'd also take a look at the Surface Duo because foldable smartphones offer interesting new technology that we might eventually see from Apple.

Unlike the Galaxy Fold that offers a single foldable display with the display technology covering the hinge, Microsoft has embraced the foldable design with two separate screens connected by a visible hinge, which is smart because Microsoft's Surface Duo isn't going to have the durability and creasing issues that have been seen with Samsung's devices.

The Surface Duo is well built and a lot of attention was paid to the design of the hinge, which is no surprise given the price point. The Surface Duo and the hinge in particular feel high quality, and this is a foldable smartphone that resembles a premium, futuristic device. Even with two 5.6-inch screens (8.1 inches combined), the Surface Duo is surprisingly thin, but it's the hinge that stands out.

Microsoft did a solid job with the build quality of the Surface Duo, but the device's design is the best part about it because the software doesn't measure up. Microsoft uses Google-designed Android software, and the lack of integration between hardware and software hinder the user experience and it feels unfinished.

The Surface Duo is running a Microsoft-skinned version of Android 10. It offers the Android 10 features and some add-ons designed by Microsoft for the dual screen, but the operating system doesn't feel optimized for this two screen form factor. Microsoft and Google can improve the software over time with updates, of course, but at release, it's not ideal.

Despite the poor software, the Surface Duo offers some notable usage benefits when it comes to productivity. Specific apps can be set up to launch at the same time with App Groups, so you can pair up OneNote and Outlook, a web browser and YouTube, and so on, which is ideal for multitasking, though some apps can also be opened across both screens for doing things like writing an email on one screen while also browsing through your inbox on the other. This feature isn't optimized for all apps though, which is a major downside.

There are several Surface Duo usage modes. Book mode, as the name suggests, is when both screens are opened up like a book. Single Screen Mode lets one of the screens be flipped behind the other for a more traditional smartphone feel, while Compose Mode lets the Surface Duo be flipped into a laptop-like clamshell orientation. There's also a tent mode with the two sides positioned down into a tent shape for watching media content.

For most usage, the Single Screen Mode that has one display stacked on top of the other feels most comfortable because most people aren't going to want to take a photo or chat with someone using a book-like form factor, but it can be useful to have the option to fold out another screen to get work done.

When it comes to specs, the Surface Duo is running year-old tech with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chip, and it's limited to an 11-megapixel camera that's just not impressive when every other smartphone manufacturer is focusing on camera quality. It also has thick bezels that smartphone makers are moving away from, which is worth noting.

Overall, the Surface Duo brings innovation in the smartphone space and we're interested to see where Microsoft's technology goes in the future, but given the $1,400 price point, the software issues, and the overall usability, this is not a device that's suitable for most people and not one that we'd recommend.

There have been some rumors suggesting Apple is exploring a foldable iPhone, and Apple has filed a few patents for foldable smartphone technology, but it's still unclear if this is technology that's going to stick around and if an Apple foldable iPhone will ever come out of the prototyping stage. We don't know when Apple might release a foldable iPhone if one is indeed in the works, but it's definitely not coming in the immediate future.

Article Link: Hands-On With Microsoft's $1,400 'Surface Duo' Dual Display Smartphone

 

[Mr Magoo]

Might be my next Phone.

 

[grantew1]

I have been a microsoft surface supporter but I don't think this is going to do well, given the price and wow, it's two screens struck together. As mentioned, most people don't need this. At $1,400 dollars, you have much better options.

 

[JaySoul]

Good, well-balanced review.

I always thought this is more aimed at enterprise long-term, but it's still a first gen product.

You see how much better the Fold 2 is than the first one, but obviously Samsung is infinitely more experienced at making phones than Microsoft.

By 2022 I'd expect this to be a very solid addition to their enterprise line up. But Apple should enter the space by 2024 and honestly, I think they'll smash it.

 

[tranceking26]

I'm waiting patiently for a teardown and a stress test. See how it goes!

 

[djcerla]

Looks good to me, but I strongly suspect I’d smash it into a wall on 2nd day of everyday use.

And, I’m spoiled by the photography on the iPhone 11, not going back.

 

[yaxomoxay]

So am I right that if I want to use this to do quick operations such as checking my messages I have to open it, and maybe have to use two hands?

 

[MGrayson3]

I played with a friend’s today. Fabulous idea, buggy implementation, not ready for prime time. And the camera sucks (no doubt due to thin halves). In an iteration or two, we’ll all have something similar.

 

[hot-gril]

This is the first time Microsoft has made an Android device, right?

 

[Bonte]

I much rather have a Phone and an iPad for that price and function, there are situations the Duo would benefit but not enough in my opinion. It needs to be cheaper and better first, someday the foldable will be standard but not just yet.

 

[ColeSQ]

The physical design is straight up poo. I care too much about what I see every time I use my device I guess. Hope someone loves this and Apple makes something superior.

 

[FightTheFuture]

Nothing excites people more about tech than making a good hinge.

 

[JCCL]

Looks good, but subpar specs for that pricing and the SW issue, then not ready yet. Lots of changes needed to make this a viable device.

But hey, Surface took 3-4 iterations for them to become actually good devices, so hopefully this will improve over time.

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

This looks like a beast to me. Go Microsoft!!!

 

[AxiomaticRubric]

This was a big risk for Microsoft. I hope it goes well for them but I'm leaning towards this turning out to be a flop thanks to the excessively high price tag and last-gen hardware.

 

[mrr]

Cool. Competition is great. Now If I could only use an Apple Pencil on the iPhone, I’d be happy.

 

[hot-gril]

This was a big risk for Microsoft. I hope it goes well for them but I'm leaning towards this turning out to be a flop thanks to the excessively high price tag and last-gen hardware.

It's also huge. Who needs that much computer in their pocket? Foldable would be nice if it meant making an iPhone Plus sized phone take up half the length.

 

[CausticSoda]

Not the real deal yet, of course, but devices could well soon morph into this sort of thing. The largest iPhones are too big for my pockets - I have tried. When something the thickness of my X is available, which folds out into a device with twice the screen size, then why wouldn't I want one? We're just not there yet.

 

[BanjoDudeAhoy]

Now If I could only use an Apple Pencil on the iPhone, I’d be happy.

Funnily enough, I was thinking that too the other day. Wouldn’t use it often but sometimes that would really be nice.

 

[thedarkhalf]

A solution looking for a problem.

 

[farewelwilliams]

this makes more sense than a galaxy fold IMO.

 

[roland.g]

Interesting video and review. NO mention or discussion of how the Samsung is a true 'fold" where as this is two side by side screens. Yes it seems that the Fold is what hampered the first Samsung release, but the seam between two screens really makes this a blah looking product.

 

[Kierkegaarden]

I’m not seeing any situation where I think having a hinged dual screen for my phone would make my life easier. More difficult to handle, for one thing. If I were ok with handling a larger device, why not just buy an iPad?

I think the companies that have put out these foldable phones did so because they had already put so much r&d into it. Maybe it was worth seeing if there is a market for a small folding dual screen device. I’m just not seeing it at all. It worked for my Palm Pilot back in the 90s, but I think we’ve progressed a bit since then.

 

[Gix1k]

2.0 version with much smaller bezels and I’ll get it.

 

[nitramluap]

Solution looking for a problem. Meh.