The Microsoft Surface Duo brings Microsoft’s mobile division back into the limelight, with a smartphone rendition that’s way different from what they offered in the past. It’s a smartphone-tablet hybrid that is focused on offering enthusiasts a more convenient way to multitask.
What’s more, Microsoft ditched the windows mobile OS and opted for Android instead, with claims that it’s a better suiting OS for a mobile device.
Microsoft Surface Duo Key Specs & Features
- 8.1-inch AMOLED Touchscreen, 1800 x 2700 Pixels (401 PPI)
- Folded Position Display: 5.6-inch, AMOLED, 1350 x 1800 Pixels
- Android 10
- Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 (7 nm)
- 6GB RAM
- 128GB/ 256GB built-in storage
- 11MP Camera
- 4G LTE
- Fingerprint Sensor (Side-Mounted)
- 18W Fast Charging
- 3577mAh Non-Removable Li-Po Battery
Design and Display
The dual-display design of the Surface duo may be new to Microsoft’s mobile division, but it certainly isn’t new to the smartphone space.
A lot of other OEMs have come forward with smartphones bearing this design in time past. Honorable mentions to the LG Velvet and the ZTE Axon M.
The Microsoft surface duo is pretty much two 5.6-inch AMOLED displays joined together by a 360-degree hinge. Each display has a screen resolution of 1800 x 1350.
The fact that these displays are held together by a hinge sort of abolishes the need to use a foldable material on them. As such Microsoft opted for glass displays as opposed to plastic as seen on the original Samsung Galaxy Fold and the Huawei Mate X.
Unfolding the Surface duo gives you an 8.1-inch display with a screen resolution of 2700 x 1800. This display setup isn’t the prettiest of the bunch, which is largely facilitated by the big bezels present. However, the left bezel houses a front-facing camera and an earpiece.
When closed, we have an entire covering which is also made of glass, gorilla glass 5 to be exact.
The Cameras
The cameras on the Microsoft surface duo sit in the position of one of the most subtle on any of the smartphones released withing the thousand dollar price tag.
The cameras aren’t really befitting. This fact becomes more evident when you make a comparison with other top-notch foldable tabs in this range. Honorable mentions to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2, which has a more appreciable camera setup.
The Surface duo features a single 11MP camera which serves as both the front camera and the rear camera. This is made possible by the hinge in the middle. All you need do is flip the screen to get the desired camera position.
This 11MP camera has an aperture of f/2.0. It supports video recording up to 4k @ 60fps. It also supports 1080p@30/60fps video recording.
Hardware
A smartphone that bears a price tag well above $1000 in 2020 is naturally expected to feature 2020’s definition of bleeding-edge specs. However, that isn’t the case with the Microsoft surface duo. It packs in 2019’s specs sheet.
The fact that it features last year’s spec sheet could be party facilitated by the time it spent in production. However, this doesn’t mean that enthusiasts would be settling for an inferior device.
Under the hood of this Android smartphone is an Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor, 6GB of RAM, an Adreno 640 GPU, 128GB – 256GB storage options and a non-removable 3577 mAh battery.
Software
The main story behind the Microsoft duo is offering enthusiasts an easy to use interface that will work well with the dual displays when multi-tasking.
Microsoft leveraged on the already existing multi-task facility on the Android operating system, to offer enthusiasts an astute way of multitasking where you have different tasks running on the different sides of the display.
Enthusiasts can have their game playing on one part of the screen and have the controls on others. Another instance is having the link in an email open on one side of the display while retaining the original email on the other side.
The possibilities of multitasking with dual displays are quite endless. However, it all boils down to running different tasks simultaneously.
Please note that the bigger Microsoft Neo runs on the Windows 10 operating system and its an option for enthusiasts who still desire the luxury of having a windows tablet.
Microsoft Surface Duo Price and Availability
The price of the Microsoft Surface Duo is around $1400, which translates to about 541,226 Naira in Nigeria, 151,256 KSH in Kenya, and 8,090 GHC in Ghana.
The Microsoft Surface Duo was announced on August 12, 2020, and is expected to go on sale on September 10th, 2020.
Microsoft Surface Duo Specs
Here are a few specs of the Microsoft Surface Duo:
General Features
- Platform: Android 10
- Processor: Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 (2.84 GHz Kryo 485 & 2.42 GHz tri-core Kryo 485 & 1.78 GHz quad-core Kryo 485)
- GPU: Adreno 640
- Memory: 6GB RAM
- Colours: White
- Dimension: Unfolded: 186.9 x 145.2 x 4.8 mm – Folded: 145.2 x 93.3 x 9.9 mm
- Weight: 250 g
- SIM Type: Nano-SIM, eSIM
- SIM Count: Dual-SIM
Display
- Display: 8.1-inch AMOLED Touchscreen, 1800 x 2700 Pixels (Unfolded) – 5.6-inch, AMOLED, 1350 x 1800 Pixels (Folded)
- Screen Protection: Corning Gorilla Glass 5
- Foldable Display: –
Camera
- Rear Camera: 11 MP Camera, f/2.0, 23mm (wide)
- Rear Camera Features: 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS
- Front Camera: Uses Rear Camera
Storage
- Built-in Storage: 128GB / 256GB
- Memory Card Support: No
- Bundled Cloud Storage: –
Network Support
- 2G GSM: 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
- 2G CDMA 1X: –
- 3G WCDMA: 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100
- 3G CDMA EVDO: –
- 4G LTE: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 19 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 66
- 5G: No
Internet & Connectivity
- GPRS: Yes
- EDGE: Yes
- 3G/WCDMA/HSPA: Yes
- HSPA+: Yes
- CDMA EVDO: –
- 4G LTE: Yes
- 5G: No
- WLAN: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct
- Wi-Fi Hotspot: Yes
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX Adaptive
- NFC: –
- Infrared Blaster: –
- USB Port: USB Type-C (3.1) Reversible Connector
Messaging
- SMS/MMS: Yes
- Instant Messaging: Yes
- Push Emails: Yes
- Email Protocol: Yes
Entertainment
- Music Player: 3GP, MP3, MP4, MKV, WAV, OGG, M4A, AAC, TS, AMR, FLAC, MID, MIDI, RTTL, RTX, OTA, IMY
- Video Player: MKV, MOV, MP4, H.265(HEVC), AVI, WMV, TS, 3GP, FLV, WEBM
- FM Radio: No
- Loudspeaker: Yes
- 3.5mm Jack: –
Navigation
- Navigation: A-GPS
- Maps: Yes
Sensors & Control
- Digital Compass: –
- Accelerometer: Yes
- Proximity Sensor: Yes
- Light Sensor: –
- Barometer: –
- SpO2: –
- Pedometer: –
- Heart Rate Monitor: No
- Gyroscope: –
- Fingerprint Scanner: Yes (Side-Mounted)
- Iris Scanner: –
- Face Unlock: –
- Stylus Pen: Yes
- Intelligent Digital Assistant: Yes
- Motion Sensing / Gesture Control: –
- Voice Control: Yes
Other Features
- Video Streaming: Yes
- Active Noise Cancellation: –
- Wireless Charging: No
- Built-in Mobile Payment: –
- Water Resistant: No
- Dust Resistant: No
- Image Editor: –
- Video Editor: –
- Document Viewer: –
- Document Editor: –
Battery
- Battery: 3577 mAh Non-Removable Li-Po Battery
- Talktime: Up to 27 Hours
- Standby Time: Up to 10 Days
- Fast Charging: 18W Capacity
