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Microsoft Surface Duo Set to Arrive September 10 For $1,399

I thought it looked like a half-baked idea when they first showed it, and now months later I’ve changed my mind and think that it’s more like a raw dough trying to be passed off as bread. And what is it with those GIANT top and bottom bezels? It kind of looks like they’ve taken a couple of iPad mini’s from 5 years ago and added a hinge between them.
 
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yossi said:
They tried this in 2009, lets see if it has better luck this time

www.wired.com

Microsoft Cancels Courier Tablet

Microsoft’s dual screen prototype Courier tablet project is dead, even before it could make it out of the company’s research labs. Microsoft has reportedly canceled internal work on the tablet, says Gizmodo. Gizmodo had initially revealed the Courier as a project that Microsoft has been working...
www.wired.com www.wired.com
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These two MSFT devices have made it way further than the Courier ever did. Microsoft never announced the Courier and only showed it in a few teaser/concept type videos.

These new ones (at least the smaller one) have been announced and priced. They still may flop, though. Lets see how they do in the market. They do seem to be pretty interesting. To me, this is the best way to do a foldable phone/tablet design. Not sure if there really is a market for foldable devices in this day and age.
 
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I am ready for Apple Glasses, this holding a large foldable device is past its prime. Having something that I wear that I can communicate with verbal with eye tracking is the future. In 10 years when people are getting their Apple Contacts we will all look back at these and will say wow this looked so old antiquated.
 
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It's not a seamless fold like the Galaxy Z Flip, so it seems a bit old-school already.

I hate Windows10 also, spyware, forced updates, forced ads, forced changes, buggy... Wish Windows7 had been the baseline OS they had kept instead.
 
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Actually a really cool-looking device. In terms of real world application though it'll be interesting to see how (if at all) this is used. After-all, hardware without decent or relevant software is a DOA.

What I liked about Apple's recent patent, which involved a separate 'hinge/spine' device that allows for two devices to be connected to one-another, is that you have the flexibility to use the smart iPhone/Pad in its original format or with another.

With solutions like Microsoft's however, I'm under the impression that the whole concept could be a hinderance when all you want is a nice big canvas, which is why the iPad is so great.
 
Not the target audience; the Duo's older specs and price point confirms it (An unflattering copy of Apple's moves. At least Apple are starting to offer some value for the money with certain hardware).

I understand why MS went with this design (for more than one reason): The Duo is immediately recognizable as a Surface product.

MS has some excellent designs (Surface Studio, the kickstand on the Surface Pros). For those who want the Duo, I hope it is a good product.
 
I do have to wonder about battery life. That’s not that big of a battery for Android with two displays. I’m still curious about how it will do, I suspect not very well in the consumer space because MS has so little credibility here, it’s pretty expensive, and you have to really be good with that form factor. Corporate use may be good, but many companies don’t issue phones to employees anymore and do BYOD instead.

I wonder how good the software experience will be out of the gate. Windows 10 isn’t exactly the model of consistency. I know I’m being cynical, but as someone who used a lot of MS hardware in the past, launching a compelling product is only half the battle. W10M with its desktop mode sounded nice, but the OS was ultimately a disaster.

Unrelated, the way the model is holding the device in that product photo makes me nervous. She’s not really grasping the device, so if she was bumped, it would go flying. Hopefully you would not need to be holding it this way to use it.
 
This is definitely a first-gen product. But seeing how Microsoft is committed to the Surface line (compare the original Surface RT to what they have now), and they're DESPERATE to be in the mobile space, I have a feeling this will improve rapidly over time.

Also - Microsoft pretty much owns the enterprise-class software market, and if you think how many iPhones are sold to businesses for use by employees, I'm sure Microsoft wants a cut of those sales with a device they can sell directly to their existing customers with the software they use.

I wouldn't be too quick to dismiss their efforts.
 
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At least the price is sort of reasonable (not $2,000!). Hopefully Microsoft succeeds.
 
I remember them announcing this like 2 years ago and I was saying those bezels were a death knell.
The only people I see buying this are corporate employees that get them for free.
 
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Bezels.

If apple had done this much bezels, the person above is right, The Verge would have given them so much grief.

Oh well, another tech that won't sell well but will get The Verge loins all moist for the next year.
 
Microsoft is smart. They’ve got the puff pieces dropping already.

www.cnet.com

Microsoft Surface Duo's dual-screen hinge design is already winning me over

Exclusive: Microsoft's dual-screened Android phone shoots for practicality and productivity. I didn't get to use it yet, but I spent time with a see-through, nonworking prototype to feel how it bends.
www.cnet.com www.cnet.com

In the article over at the Verge Microsoft’s Panos Panay says: “Microsoft has to light up on every platform”. What does this even mean? It sounds like corporate BS. Like this paragraph from a re-org memo he recently sent out:
"We will continue to align our product and business rhythms to stay connected on our vision at every step towards achieving our big goals. By bringing product-makers together, and continuing to work with our partners, we will streamline decision-making and create the best experiences to engage customers, energize developers, inspire partners, and lead the ecosystem.”
Click to expand...
 
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profets said:
Feels so weird to me that its a Microsoft device running Android.
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Considering Microsoft is pushing forward with native Linux support in Windows (Windows Subsystem for Linux -- which works very well; I don't need to boot into Linux nearly as often now), it fits with Microsoft's plans.
 
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