Was about to say the same thing. I don't need or want a tablet in my pocket. Some would say the screens are already too big.
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Hands-On With Microsoft's $1,400 'Surface Duo' Dual Display Smartphone
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Was about to say the same thing. I don't need or want a tablet in my pocket. Some would say the screens are already too big.
That's what I thought too until I really quit thinking of it as a consumer device. It's more like the Surface Hub geared for enterprise users. It's focused on productivity they never say it makes Netflix or face book more awesome and just like the Surface Hub it's high priced because I see them expecting companies to buy these in bulk and deploy out in the work field. Its HoloLens, but as a phone. When I thing of it this way I can appreciate what they are doing and will eventually bring down cost to consumer level
My guess, someone in Microsoft Mgmt said:
"Hey, lets push out one of those UN-completed back-burner projects, & see how much Press Coverage we can generate".
"Hey, lets push out one of those UN-completed back-burner projects, & see how much Press Coverage we can generate".
Good balanced article, but this isn't a smartphone & I see on MS's website, they've been careful not to refer to it as that either.
Maybe you should change the title of this article as slightly misleading. It's more akin to an iPad/MB with an inbuilt sim or using continuity from the iPhone. It's pitched as dual screen mobile productivity device which is what it is, it is to phones what the iPod shuffle was to the original iPod.
For all its 'good' looks and seemingly good build quality, in my experience if it's got the reliability of the surface pro range & combined with android at the moment, I'd say pass. Maybe in later revisions might be worth a look if it lasts that long and not cancelled before.
Maybe you should change the title of this article as slightly misleading. It's more akin to an iPad/MB with an inbuilt sim or using continuity from the iPhone. It's pitched as dual screen mobile productivity device which is what it is, it is to phones what the iPod shuffle was to the original iPod.
For all its 'good' looks and seemingly good build quality, in my experience if it's got the reliability of the surface pro range & combined with android at the moment, I'd say pass. Maybe in later revisions might be worth a look if it lasts that long and not cancelled before.
Microsoft Surface Duo review: Hot mess
Microsoft Surface Duo review: Hot mess
The Surface Duo is an incredible design accomplishment tempered by software bugs and poor performance.
www.androidcentral.com
250 gams is about 0.55 lbs of weight, that is heavy for a phone. Definitely want to use earbuds if you are going to make a call with the Surface Duo.
Gorgeous hardware. The design is beautiful. It makes all other foldables look like hot garbage. Having said that, why? it’s a stupid form factor. These don’t sell...at all for good reason. Foolish concept. The only ones who call these “the future” are YouTube bloggers easily impressed by gimmicks that they receive for free. I mean who would buy this?
Hopefully 2nd gen is much better, I am sure it will be. This device looks really cool though! Just needs to get rid of the bezels at the top, improve the camera like 10 fold, and fix the bugs, plus have time for developer to adopt to 2 screens. I really think this might be the future for smartphones, but it is going to take awhile before it becomes standard and the issues are worked out.
too expensive for something that looks just okay Tech companies need to work on making thinner but can still fold and those black edges holy crap did we travel back in the time? It least this a start for a Surface to foldable lets see how 2nd gen will look or Apple iPad foldable ones in the future.
Goes to show ya...
watched entire video. No mention and no demo of...
THE PHONE
the industry does not even care about phones anymore.
Here we are in 2020 and I still can’t get reception in my house or my work.
Macrumors is in so deep, they don’t even realize they too just ignored the actual phone capabilities.
Pathetic.
watched entire video. No mention and no demo of...
THE PHONE
the industry does not even care about phones anymore.
Here we are in 2020 and I still can’t get reception in my house or my work.
Macrumors is in so deep, they don’t even realize they too just ignored the actual phone capabilities.
Pathetic.
I just can't believe that with five years to prepare this is the reentry into the smartphone market for Microsoft. They showed up with last year's processor/Bluetooth/WiFi and last decade's bezels/4G. This could have been an OLED X-Box phone teamed up with Razer and no bezels + 120-240 refresh rate launched (or bundled) with the new X-Box in 2 months. Imagine buying this phone and getting the cheaper version of the new X-Box for free. Or the ultimate MS Office phone. Or a relaunch of LinkedIn + Teams + Skype in an iMessage/FaceTime competitor at the OS level. Or a blue ocean move like putting in a user-swappable battery (gasp!) or upgradeable RAM and parts aimed at business enthusiasts.
It's 25-40% too chunky horizontally because of the bezels, and the hidden screens make it impossible to check notifications or play with your phone with one finger/while multitasking (that's what she said?) Microsoft is worth like two trillion. They have a monopoly on DOD operating systems. What the hell are they bowing down to Google for? Rhetorical question, I get it, the Play Store exists. But they could have written a blank check to Dell, Acer, Lenovo, Razer, Samsung or Asus, a company who is actually innovating correctly. I'm disappointed, and I wanted to love this, but I'm glad they are attempting to crawl in the direction of taking some marketshare someday (maybe?) from Apple/Google. How does something this obvious elude the design/engineering: a phone over $500 in 2020 with garbage cameras is D-O-A.
It's 25-40% too chunky horizontally because of the bezels, and the hidden screens make it impossible to check notifications or play with your phone with one finger/while multitasking (that's what she said?) Microsoft is worth like two trillion. They have a monopoly on DOD operating systems. What the hell are they bowing down to Google for? Rhetorical question, I get it, the Play Store exists. But they could have written a blank check to Dell, Acer, Lenovo, Razer, Samsung or Asus, a company who is actually innovating correctly. I'm disappointed, and I wanted to love this, but I'm glad they are attempting to crawl in the direction of taking some marketshare someday (maybe?) from Apple/Google. How does something this obvious elude the design/engineering: a phone over $500 in 2020 with garbage cameras is D-O-A.
To me at least it seems like this form factor is far more likely to actually work and be durable than a foldable screen, at least for the foreseeable future. I can at least sort of imagine using one of these day-to-day, unlike the folding phones which I can't even picture being useful.
That said, here we are with another company selling a $1400 prototype, which is frankly insulting. The irony is that what makes it a shoddy product is, apparently, the OS.
Microsoft, of all companies, is stuck using somebody else's crappy monopolist commodity OS on their own hardware, and it's dragging the whole product down. The irony is so delicious it's almost hard to believe.
Imagine telling someone not that long ago that Microsoft, king of race-to-the-bottom computing and There-Is-One-Operating-System-And-You-Will-Like-It, would be making ultra-high-end hardware (the 256GB version is more expensive than any phone Apple sells, and in fact costs more than anything but a maxed-out 13" iPad Pro) that not only doesn't run a Microsoft OS, but the OS it's saddled with makes the whole thing a mediocre product. It's like opposite world has become reality.
Microsoft in the phone/phablet space has literally become Sony's computer division of 20 years ago.
That said, here we are with another company selling a $1400 prototype, which is frankly insulting. The irony is that what makes it a shoddy product is, apparently, the OS.
Microsoft, of all companies, is stuck using somebody else's crappy monopolist commodity OS on their own hardware, and it's dragging the whole product down. The irony is so delicious it's almost hard to believe.
Imagine telling someone not that long ago that Microsoft, king of race-to-the-bottom computing and There-Is-One-Operating-System-And-You-Will-Like-It, would be making ultra-high-end hardware (the 256GB version is more expensive than any phone Apple sells, and in fact costs more than anything but a maxed-out 13" iPad Pro) that not only doesn't run a Microsoft OS, but the OS it's saddled with makes the whole thing a mediocre product. It's like opposite world has become reality.
Microsoft in the phone/phablet space has literally become Sony's computer division of 20 years ago.
Purse / Fanny Pack Phone.... but why this and not a dual-screen LG V60 or Velvet for half the price?
When positioned north:south (like a laptop), this could be cool for 5 seconds if the south half turned into a touch keyboard. Otherwise, I don't see the long-term value. Microsoft attempting to create a space by going in reverse...to the early 2000s.
As it has been said before:
"It's the software, stupid!"
I like Android well enough on my Samsung devices, but this here is trash.
Which is consistent with how fed up I am with Microsoft and their software: moments of actual competence marred by unforgivable annoyances, especially when I've had access to Apple devices (and Linux) for so long.
It's always "serviceable", but never great, unless you're a PC gamer or use Office... those two are the ONLY spaces I see Microsoft excel at (no pun intended).
I couldn't even stand the Xbox software.
And I ABSOLUTELY FRAKKING DETEST Teams. Curse the day my company decided to trade using Cisco Jabber for that POS.
"It's the software, stupid!"
I like Android well enough on my Samsung devices, but this here is trash.
Which is consistent with how fed up I am with Microsoft and their software: moments of actual competence marred by unforgivable annoyances, especially when I've had access to Apple devices (and Linux) for so long.
It's always "serviceable", but never great, unless you're a PC gamer or use Office... those two are the ONLY spaces I see Microsoft excel at (no pun intended).
I couldn't even stand the Xbox software.
And I ABSOLUTELY FRAKKING DETEST Teams. Curse the day my company decided to trade using Cisco Jabber for that POS.
exactly, this is the one of the beta versions of the future ‘one device’, powerful foldable are where we’re headed in my view. Microsoft tried it but the processors weren’t ready, Apple is getting ready for this.
AR glasses / Apple Watch / headphones -uses without reaching for your device
folded - acts like your phone - iOS like
Unfolded - acts like an iPad - iPad OS like
Docked to screen - acts like a Mac - Mac OS like
Apple will be slow to market (as usual) but when they do it will be one of the best experiences, the recent Mac OS changes and Apple silicon all make sense if this is the planned future.
I know this in cannibalising other devices but over time the competition will force this approach.
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