Microsoft Places Bets on Surface Duo, a Unique Dual-Screened Device
The “next wave of mobile computing”
Microsoft recently held a virtual briefing to launch Surface Duo, a dual-screened device that is not a tablet, not a phone and not even a foldable. Built on a similar idea as Lumia phones were, it’s a big gamble for the company that abandoned smartphone efforts in 2017.
So, no one was surprised to notice Microsoft’s nervousness during the launch of Surface Duo. The Chief Product Officer of the company, Panos Panay referred to the device as a risk and also expressed hope that it will enable the “next wave of mobile computing.” The Surface Duo will run on Android 10 and will seem familiar to anyone who has experienced Google’s mobile ecosystem before.
The dual-screen of the Surface Duo seems to be better than misfires like Reeboted Razr from Motorola, Samsung Galaxy Fold and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip, all of which were imperfect and super expensive. The first reason is that it doesn’t have a bendable (read: breakable) screen but has two different 5.6-inch screens that are connected by a 360-degree hinge that lets the device to be folded into different postures. These postures of Surface Duo include using one screen while the other is folded back, spreading it open to enjoy a two-screen experience, flipping it back as a kickstand during streaming or gaming and using it at a 90-degree angle to have a laptop-like feel.
Ralf Groene, the CVP of design for Windows and Devices was super confident (read: overconfident) about the design of Surface Duo when he said that the hinge should last roughly “until the human is tired of folding.” He also added, “I think the human will give up before the device breaks.”
Microsoft – YouTube
| NETWORK | Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE |
|---|
| LAUNCH | Announced | 2020, August 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Coming soon. Exp. release 2020, September 10 |
| BODY | Dimensions | Unfolded: 186.9 x 145.2 x 4.8 mm Folded: 145.2 x 93.3 x 9.9 mm |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 250 g (8.82 oz) | |
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5) | |
| SIM | Nano-SIM, eSIM | |
| Stylus support |
| DISPLAY | Type | AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 8.1 inches, 195.4 cm2 (~144.2% screen-to-body ratio) | |
| Resolution | 1800 x 2700 pixels, 3:2 ratio (~401 ppi density) | |
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 | |
| Folded position display: 5.6 inches, AMOLED, 1350 x 1800 pixels (4:3) |
| PLATFORM | OS | Android 10 |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8150 Snapdragon 855 (7 nm) | |
| CPU | Octa-core (1×2.84 GHz Kryo 485 & 3×2.42 GHz Kryo 485 & 4×1.78 GHz Kryo 485) | |
| GPU | Adreno 640 |
| MEMORY | Card slot | No |
|---|---|---|
| Internal | 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM | |
| UFS 3.0 |
| MAIN CAMERA | Single | 11 MP, f/2.0, 23mm (wide), 1.0µm, PDAF |
|---|---|---|
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS |
| SELFIE CAMERA | Single | Uses main camera |
|---|---|---|
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS |
| SOUND | Loudspeaker | Yes |
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | Unspecified |
| COMMS | WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX Adaptive | |
| GPS | Yes, with A-GPS | |
| Radio | No | |
| USB | 3.1, Type-C 1.0 reversible connector |
| FEATURES | Sensors | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, proximity |
|---|
| BATTERY | Non-removable Li-Po 3577 mAh battery | |
|---|---|---|
| Charging | Fast charging 18W |
| MISC | Colors | White |
|---|---|---|
| Price | About 1200 EUR |
Disclaimer. We can not guarantee that the information on this page is 100% correct.
Surface Duo would be priced USD 1,400 which comes to about AUD 1,995, but the official pricing and launch date here in the Oz has not been revealed yet. It will be launched exclusively in the US on September 11. If you need a new device and can’t wait long for an update on this one, you might want to consider Samsung Galaxy Note 20 that was launched recently and is worthy of a look.
Surface Duo