You could open it slightly to get “peek” notifications, but at that point, why not open it fully? The peek notifications aren’t all that helpful either. With the original Surface Duo, I complained that the only good way to check notifications was to open the phone entirely. And it still has a fingerprint sensor, just like the original. The same goes for the newly announced Slim Pen 2 you’ll have to spring for that. Unfortunately, the Surface 23W USB-C Power Supply is sold separately. You still won’t get wireless charging, alas, but the Surface Duo 2 supports fast charging. Overall the Surface Duo 2 is thicker than the original, but that means Microsoft managed to slip in a larger battery which should help battery life. That’s much more future-proof than the original. On the connectivity side, the Surface Duo 2 can connect over 5G, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.1. The screens are AMOLED and capable of a 90 Hz refresh rate. The displays get a size upgrade, from 8.1 inches when fully opened to 8.3 inches. On paper, that’s a vast improvement, but we’ll need to try it to be sure. And this time around, the Duo 2 also has a 12 MP lens. That’s right, on the backside (Outside? Non-display side) sports a Wide 12 MP, f/1.7 aperture lens with OIS, a Telephoto 12 MP lens with OIS, and 2X optical zoom, and an Ultra-Wide 16MP, f/2.2 aperture, lens with distortion correction. Whereas the original had a singular 11 MP camera, the new Duo 2 houses a tri-lens system. The new Surface Duo 2 takes a big step forward in cameras. And while the original promised to get an Android 11 upgrade but still hasn’t, the Surface Duo 2 will launch with Android 11.īut that’s not all. It comes with 5G, NFC, 8 GBs of RAM, and a Snapdragon 888 processor. The Surface Duo 2 promises it will fix all that. Leaving aside the excellent multitasking capabilities, that’s a lot of misses for a $1,400 phone. The first Surface Duo had terrible cameras, no NFC, no 5G, just six GBs of RAM, an older processor, and no way to check notifications in the closed position. The new model picks up where the original left off and strives to address our biggest complaints. “In theory” because last year’s Surface Duo broke in other unexpected ways. In theory, that should make it more durable than true foldables that rely on plastic and semi-glass screens. Microsoft also announced some cool new accessories that are genuinely worth taking a look at.Īt its heart, the Surface Duo 2 is still the same concept as the original: a quasi foldable with two displays joined by a sturdy hinge. Note: Be sure to check out all the products revealed at today’s Surface event, including the new Surface Pro 8, the upgraded Go 3, the more affordable Pro X tablet, and the insane Surface Laptop Studio. The new Surface Duo 2 promises all that, sometimes with solutions you wouldn’t expect. But it needed work to fill out missing features and enhance durability. Last year, Microsoft launched the Surace Duo phone, a unique take on the foldable that felt like putting a laptop in your pocket.
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