![]() At first, it seemed that it would actually be a new mobile device category to stand beside typical foldables, but the rumor now is that Microsoft seems to have thrown in the towel. The Microsoft Surface Duo and its successor tried to offer a less risky yet still expensive interpretation of the foldable design, offering two distinct screens rather than folding a single one. Even if they were more affordable, most people would probably still not be able to justify such a purchase, especially considering some concerns regarding durability. Foldable phones have been on the market for almost five years now, but they’re still considered to be expensive eccentricities and luxuries that only a few can really afford. ![]() But we'll have to see if Microsoft can deliver that experience without the compromises of its predecessor.They may be technological marvels, but foldable and rollable screens remain just that in consumers’ eyes. There's potential in the Surface Duo 2, especially for gamers, photographers and those who love to watch video or read on their mobile device. ![]() The next part is nailing the execution of it all and showing us why we need a two-screen phone in the first place. I love the idea of what it represents, but will Microsoft have the software better polished and optimized this time around? The hardware seems totally refreshed and very much ready to compete with other premium devices. The last Surface Duo didn't win me over with its software nor did it feel easy to multitask on. Will Microsoft's Surface Duo 2 finally feel good to use? Also, onboard NFC (also missing from the original Duo) should help with tap-to-connect everyday uses. The lack of 5G on last year's Duo was one of its key missing features for a supposedly premium work phone. ![]() The phone supports mmWave and Sub-6 frequencies and also has Wi-Fi 6. Microsoft 5G comes to the Surface Duo, finally (NFC, too)ĥG is now included in the Surface Duo, unlike last year's LTE-equipped Duo. The dual-screen design is still largely the same, although the displays are slightly bigger. The two screens provide some separation between editing controls and the image itself - again giving you a better view without having to obscure parts of the image with your fingers as you tap. The Surface Duo 2's screens could also come in handy for those who frequently edit photos on their phones after shooting them. The camera app Microsoft has on the Duo 2 also lets one display work as a viewfinder while the other can show previous photos for comparison: This could be really helpful for trying to make a shot better. The camera package sounds extremely promising, especially compared to the previous Duo's lack of rear cameras. The cameras also have a time-of-flight sensor for helping with focus. It sounds like a complete package, especially considering the last Duo only had one inner camera. There's a night mode, portrait mode and HDR, and it can record up to 60 frames per second at 4K plus record slow-mo. There's now an external camera on the Duo 2 - three of them, in fact: a f/1.7 12-megapixel telephoto lens, a f/2.4 12MP wide lens, and a third 16MP ultrawide camera, with optical image stabilization. But we haven't spent enough time with the Surface Duo 2 to know what its consistent performance is like. There were a few instances in which there was a slight pause before the software adjusted to the phone's new position. The software generally kept up with my movements as I switched orientations and shifted between tent mode, the laptop-like position shown below, and one-handed mode. The storage options range from 128GB to 512GB, and there's 8GB of RAM on the Duo 2.ĭuring my brief hands-on with the device, the Surface Duo 2's performance mostly felt snappy. The phone runs Android, similar to before, with Microsoft's own custom apps and some interface touches in the OS that are optimized for these specific displays and the Pen stylus. The step-up from the last Duo's Snapdragon 855 chip should help the phone seem more fluid than the original, which felt laggy. The Duo 2 has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor this time, just like the Z Fold 3. Watch this: Surface Duo 2: Microsoft's two-screen wonder gets another shot at premium phone fameĠ5:45 Microsoft beefs up the Surface Duo's processor and storage
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