Video: Are you excited about Microsoft’s Surface Duo?

You might have heard of a company called Microsoft. They used to be one of the partners of Nokia Mobile providing them exclusively with software, but completely disappeared once this arrangement was over… at least from a Nokia fans perspective!

Anyways, jokes aside, Microsoft officially announced all the specs, availability, and pricing of their first Surface phone, the Duo, which actually runs on Android and has 2 displays. Older Nokia fans will remember that first mention of a “Surface Phone” came from Nokia in a SEC filling, as one of the risks of exclusively using Microsoft’s smartphone OS. After that, we heard rumors for years and last year Microsoft finally showed a smartphone with the Surface branding, coming in stores in the US next month.

Here are the basic specs:

Microsoft Surface Duo

• Dimensions
  • 145.2 mm (H) x 186.9 mm (W) x 4.8 mm (T) (Open)
  • 145.2 mm (H) x 93.3 mm (W) x 9.9 mm (T at hinge) (Closed)
• Display
  • 8.1″ AMOLED, 2700*1800 pixels, 3:2 aspect ratio (Combined)
  • 5.6″ AMOLED, 1800*1350 pixels, 4:3 aspect ratio (Individually)
• Internals
  • Snapdragon 855 | Adreno 640
  • 6GB RAM | 128/256GB Storage | UFS 3.0
• Software
  • Android 10 | Microsoft Launcher
• Camera
  • 11 Megapixels | f/2.0 | 1.0 µm
  • 4k/60fps video
• Battery
  • 3577 mAh Combined
• Price
  • $1399 | $1499

Here is my video discussing my opinion on this device:

I am personally quite excited about this device. Just looking at the specs you might rightfully feel disappointed by many things. There is no wireless charging, there is no NFC, and the battery capacity is quite small. The bezels are also quite big for a device coming out in 2020. However, for the Surface Duo, it’s all about the software experience and form factor. This is the first device that feels completely built from the ground up for the ultimate multitasking experience that fits in your pocket. It doesn’t have the same quirks as the Galaxy Z fold2, which still feels fragile on the inside, and won’t fit comfortably in your pocket due to its thickness. It also feels a lot more balanced than devices with 2nd screens with an added case, mainly thanks to its 360-degree hinge, built-in pen/stylus support.

I like what the surface team at Microsoft has been doing so far in general. My main laptop has been the Surface Book for the last 3 years and I like that they have continued pursuing ideas even if the first implementation hasn’t worked.

Anyways, what do you guys think about the surface Duo? Are you thinking of buying one, would prefer waiting for gen 2, or you think this concept is pointless? Would you like to see Nokia try and build a device within this new category? Let’s discuss in the comments below.