Surface Duo 2 is Microsoft’s last shot at mobile redemption

Surface Duo two is Microsoft's last shot at mobile redemption

(Epitome credit: Microsoft)

Microsoft announced the Surface Duo 2 at its September Surface effect, and I found myself feeling pretty blah about it initially. After the original Surface Duo letdown, I couldn't muster any excitement for some other go at the form factor. Don't become me wrong, I'm all for new things, especially every bit the traditional slab smartphone design continues to abound stale, but the adjacent folding phone from Microsoft didn't pique my interest.

That's considering although I didn't review it, I had the misfortune to use the Surface Duo. I came away underwhelmed by its battery life, ergonomics, and offensively bad software support. (The original Surface Duo still doesn't take Android 11 when Android 12 is right around the corner.) As Microsoft's starting time effort at an Android phone, I agreed with the sentiment that it was an apple-polishing failure.

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From the data I received and what was presented at Wednesday'south Surface consequence, I call up Microsoft took several of the Surface Duo's many criticisms to middle for the second version. Making phones is hard and no one expects a first-generation product to be perfect, but people besides wait to get the most for their money. When you launch a phone for $one,400, you'd ameliorate get a lot of things right.

The Surface Duo 2 looks to rectify nigh of its predecessor's mistakes. It has current specs (whereas the Surface Duo launched with year-onetime hardware), NFC, 5G, and rear cameras. The battery is bigger and the displays are larger, with higher pixel densities. Even the hinge has gotten some love, supposedly.

On paper, the Surface Duo 2 looks like a massive improvement in the bare minimum sense of the discussion — I never thought I'd give a phone in 2021 kudos for adding rear cameras, but hither we are. But more importantly, the Surface Duo two is a chance for Microsoft to redeem itself in the eyes of Android users.

For Microsoft, the first stride is to provide competitive hardware, especially things that many consider standard, and the second is to back your telephone with regular and timely software updates. Know your marketplace.

surface duo 2 in its different modes — (Image credit: Microsoft)

What I've seen of the Surface Duo ii seems to signal that Microsoft went back to the drawing lath for many of the new phone's features. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to accept addressed two of the Surface Duo'south problems. The showtime is ergonomics— the original Surface Duo was uncomfortable to hold and impossible to use i-handed (even when folded over on itself). Using the dual-screen bear on controls in Game Pass wasn't pleasant, either. I'thousand not sure if the new version tackles that upshot.

The 2nd, and arguably the most of import for product adoption, is the price. Microsoft actually raised the starting cost of the Surface Duo 2 by $100 to $ane,500. Many lambasted the Surface Duo for costing too much, and it quickly dropped in price in the fourth dimension since it launched.

I get information technology, this stuff is expensive. The higher-end CPU, 5G modem, ii higher-resolution displays with a 90Hz refresh rate, all of it adds upward. Plus, Microsoft has to recoup some of its R&D costs. But Samsung managed to provide a foldable phone at the $999 mark in the form of the Galaxy Z Flip 3 with much of the same hardware that the Surface Duo 2 sports.

And for another $300 over the Surface Duo 2's price, you tin can get the excellent Milky way Z Fold iii. It non simply offers a tablet-like feel when folded out, just it also has an external display, making it usable as a phone. Plus, Samsung and Microsoft already play overnice together.

Microsoft has already tried its hand at smartphones with Windows Telephone and the Lumia series. As you might know, Windows Phone died unceremoniously a few years agone and Microsoft ceased its mobile hardware aspirations, until the Surface Duo.

I'thou skeptical of the Surface Duo 2, just trust me, I'd like it to succeed. It's a absurd device in theory, merely a lot of concepts in this earth are good on newspaper — that doesn't make all of them good or advisable in practice. Microsoft has to not just actually provide a compelling phone this time, information technology too has to counter its negative mobile device image.

The Surface Duo two is a take chances to do just that, but it'southward probably the last one for Microsoft. You can only neglect so many times before people give up on you.

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Jordan is the Phones Editor for Tom's Guide, roofing all things phone-related. He's written nearly phones for over v years and plans to go on for a long while to come. He loves aught more than than relaxing in his domicile with a volume, game, or his latest personal writing project. Hashemite kingdom of jordan likes finding new things to swoop into, from books and games to new mechanical keyboard switches and fun keycap sets. Jordan tends to lurk on social media, but y'all can best reach him on Twitter.