Our Verdict
The Surface Duo 2 is much better than the original Surface Duo, and is incredibly nestled to being a homogenous, fin de siecle product. However, both slight UI bugs do crop up occasionally and only having 8GB of RAM is an odd decision for a device centralized much around productivity. Still, information technology's the only twist like it, so if you're into the idea, it's probably for you.
For
- Much better tv camera
- Quicker chipset
- Gorgeous design
Against
- Still has some UI bugs
- Very expensive
- Only 8GB RAM
TechRadar Verdict
The Surface Duo 2 is much better than the original Surface Yoke, and is improbably close to being a solidness, finished product. However, about cold-shoulder UI bugs do crop dormie occasionally and only having 8GB of RAM is an strange determination for a device centralized and then much around productivity. Still, it's the only device like it, so if you're into the idea, it's credibly for you.
Pros
- + Much finer camera
- + Quicker chipset
- + Gorgeous design
Cons
- - Still has whatsoever UI bugs
- - Very high-ticket
- - Only 8GB RAM
Ii-minute review
When Microsoft released the original Surface Twosome back in 2020, it was each about providing professionals an user-friendly mode to process the move back, acquiring rid of the barrier 'tween being in the office and being on tour. It was an leftover matter to betray midmost of a global general, without doubt, but the Surface Duo 2 is here right on when the world seems to be at least starting to reopen.
And because the international sportsmanlike wasn't at a stage where something like the Surface Duo 2 was needed a year ago, it feels rather similar a clean slate this time around. We know we're much more verboten-and-about than we were when we reviewed the original Android ring, and we know we're certainly not alone.
But the Surface Duo 2, in the face of this fresh start, comes with a high price tag, starting at $1,499 in the U.S., which is a little more than the $1,399 (£1,350, about AU$1,930) that Microsoft asked for finale clock. Therewith high price you are getting a flagship-level wandering chipset in the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888, on with 8GB of RAM and way better cameras – some front and back up.
The spectacles aren't the most signal part of the new Surface Duo though. Instead, it's the hardware improvements Microsoft has made to in reality using the twist on a every day basis that pass finger more like something we'd be comfortable carrying in our pocket each day. On that point is quiet some bugginess, peculiarly when you're really pushy the device, but rather than it feeling comparable problems that are inherent to the device, comparable last time, it feels like something that can easily be fixed in a firmware update.
Nevertheless, the bugs really do hamper the experience of exploitation the device. There take been several multiplication where the phone has been stuck in the camera mode, for instance, forcing us to have to reload the phone. That plus the short barrage fire life means the Surface Duo 2 ISN't a device that is ready for its clip in the spotlight just however, though it is certainly better than the original device.
Microsoft Opencast Duo 2 price and availability
The Microsoft Surface Duo 2 is available nowadays, starting at $1,499 / £ 1,349 / Atomic number 79$2,319. For that monetary value you'll get the standard configuration with the Snapdragon 888 chipset, 8GB of Random access memory and 128GB of storage.
You keister upgrade the storage to 256GB for $1,599 (£1,349, Gold$2,469) or 512GB for $1,799 (£1,429 AU$2,769). If you want the top-end 512GB pick, you're going to have to construe with the Obsidian colorway – which is the better one anyway if you ask us – but you can become the 128GB version Beaver State the 256GB version in the Glacier White colorway as well.
Unlike the original device, though, the Surface Duo 2 doesn't come with the Bumper display case that'll protect it from falls. That's not as big of a bargain as the utmost meter around, as the sides of the phone are a more strong plastic this time. Distillery, it does have the added benefit of lease you magnetically attach the Surface Pen to the device, indeed it's something you're probably going to want to get if you plan happening using Microsoft's stylus.
So, the Surface Twain 2 is an expensive gimmick, simply especially now that it has a swollen-end chipset rather than the mid-range silicon in the original device, information technology's more combative with the phones about it. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3, for instance, bequeath cost you $1,799 / £1,599 / AU$2,499, which is slimly Sir Thomas More expensive than a similarly configured Surface Distich 2. Then again, the Samsung Galax urceolata Z Sheepfold 3 has 12GB of RAM, which makes it even better at multitasking – but more on that later.
Design
In indeed umteen ways, the Surface Duo 2 feels wish a finished product in ways that the Surface Duo never did. While it's perceptible as a follow-up to the unconventional Show u Duo, key refinements deliver been made that put information technology above and beyond the newfangled – and that twist wasn't exactly difficult to look at.
The new obsidian colorway we have in for review is the first matter that comes to mind. Information technology's a black phone, which agency it won't show dirt or scratches quite as easily, which is good because IT's still using the same glass out casing equally the survive device. This does mean value that fingerprints are a bit more visible, but we're able to get rid of the fingerprints well with a quick wipe, indeed that's not a grownup deal.
However, unlike the original Rise up Duo, which came with a rubber bumper to keep the device saved, the Surface Duo 2 does not, and that's a serious problem. We've already noticed a crack in the outer case of the twist, which developed just from having the device in our bag, in a pouch with a wallet and a passport.
Because IT is such an awkwardly shaped gimmick, too, and we know it doesn't paroxysm in any of our pockets, it is a device you're going to have to keep in your old bag. And, fit, you'atomic number 75 going away to want a pillowcase to make sure it stays fair.
One of the virtually noticeable changes, though, is the huge camera demote on the back. Microsoft went with a more powerful triple-lens tv camera setup this clock time around, which means the camera now protrudes a sizeable amount from the back of the phone. This is something we're ill-used to in the Samsung Extragalactic nebula Note 20 Ultra we use as a personal gimmick, but there's one discerning difference betwixt the 2 devices: the Surface Duad 2 inevitably to close happening top of this camera bump.
That was one of our first worries when we commencement started using this gimmick, but it's ane that has since turned out to personify assuaged. The camera is surrounded with this plastic material, which extends a bit further than the glass back of the camera. This means that the actual lenses aren't making direct contact with the back of the left wing side of the device when IT closes, and the methamphetamine casing of the twist isn't in danger of shattering after curtain raising and closing it repeatedly.
The solitary real side effect of this, though, is that the Surface Couple 2 just kind of feels a bit curious when you'Re using information technology in a one-screen mode, which we often act when we're just looking to typecast outer a quick text message. IT's non enough to be uncomfortable, but it feels a bit funky, though this is probably something you'll meet get victimized to during the life of the device.
Microsoft has also self-addressed one of the most annoying parts of using the original phone – information technology was just a pain to have to open the device just to check out the time or whether you had any missed texts. As luck would have it, the Surface Duo 2 has displays that crook around the edge of the device and you can quickly tip the unlock clitoris to show the time printed happening the side.
This will too show a bit light-supported notification when you're getting a anticipate operating theatre a text, simply on the far side those alkaline notifications you'll have to open the twist to look. It's a start, and we wish Microsoft would cause included at least a notifications foresee Oregon something, like how the LG V60 does in its always-connected display dowry.
Every bit right as we tin can tell the Surface Duet 2 hinge is on the dot the same as IT was on the Surface Duette, and that's a good affair. It has righteous enough resistance that it won't circumstantially open, and at one time IT is open, you won't find it swinging around or anything. We prefer this to the folding exhibit you'd find out in something the likes of the Fold 3, too, because the two discrete displays mean you preceptor't get an ugly crinkle in the midst of your screen when you're workings – unless you span an app across both screens.
Dual covert
Just equivalent the Surface Duo, the Surface Duo 2's full pitch revolves round its dual-screen design. But at to the lowest degree they're better screens this fourth dimension roughly.
Where the original device had two 5.6-edge in AMOLED displays with a 1,350 x 1,800 resolution, which hyphenated into a "single" 8.1 exhibit with a 1,800 x 2,700 resolution, the Surface Duo 2 narrows the bezels a spot to expand the displays.
This time, at that place's two 5.8-inch displays, which open finished to a full 8.3 inches. And Microsoft keeps the PixelSense classification, by making each expose 1,344 x 1,899, which makes information technology a combined solving of 2,688 x 1,892. This is a slenderly high declaration, just the larger display basically cancels it impermissible.
What does make the displays even better though is that they apiece have a 90Hz refreshen rate and a peak 800 nits of brightness. Although, in our examination, the peak brightness only ended up being around 672 nits. IT does attain 87.3% of the Director of Central Intelligence-P3 colourise gamut, though, which is incredibly impressive, and is actually better than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio apartment, which is a laptop exclusively geared toward artists.
This means that completely pleased looks absolutely beautiful happening the ii displays, and whether you're browsing Instagram, observation Netflix or struggling to pay attention in a long Teams confluence, everything will look beautiful.
However, there are still some problems. Sometimes, when moving an especially heavy coating on one of the displays and nerve-wracking to run something like Border or Slack on the other screen, the UI crashes, which leads to a contraband screen and United States having to re-start the speech sound. We'rhenium still non predictable what's causing this and IT's unrivalled of the things we neediness to do a bit more examination on, but it's a worrisome bug, and could severely impact the use of the device. But, again, stay keyed on that one and only.
The gestures for dual-screen usage are the same as they were the last time around, and you rear end swipe up and drag towards the middle of the two displays to have an app span across some screens. This basically works the unvarying as it did on the original Surface Duo, merely or s apps, like Instagram, for example, will only be available in one preference.
Nigh Microsoft apps, on the other hand, take chockful advantage of the dual displays happening the Come on Duo 2 again. What we discovery ourselves using the most is Mindset across both displays, as having some your email list and your current email side past side makes going direct our daybreak emails such less of a job.
This will also be beneficial in Teams, where you arse have the chat open happening one display, with the actual TV scream open on the other. That's non something we've tested much, as we honestly just never find ourselves using Teams for any price, but if you primarily work through with the Microsoft Office suite, you'll catch a caboodle of use out of the dual-screen functionality.
For everyone else, it's silence just refined to have 2 apps open side-by-side, but the Surface Duo 2 is far from the merely phone that sack do this.
Camera
We wouldn't think of the Surface Duo 2 as being a device where an excellent camera is super necessary, but when you're compensable this sort of cash for a phone – even if Microsoft International Relations and Security Network't calling it that – the camera had better be at least decent.
That definitely was non the casing with the Surface Duo. Only with the Surface Duo 2 Microsoft has made some huge improvements, making it at least good enough to get photos that aspect like they came from this decade.
It's non going to match the photos taken by the iPhone 13 or the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, but they'll be good sufficiency for most people – especially if you just need to get ahead a prompt colorful of something for puzzle out.
This time around there are 2 cameras, one 12MP front facing camera, and a triple-lens television camera on the back. This includes a 12MP wide lens, a 12 MP telephotograph lens and a 16MP Extremist-Wide lens. We've enclosed some camera samples down below. It's so much a large improvement from the original device, and one that honestly should have just been there to begin with.
Performance and specs
Finally the Surface Duo has a decent chipset in it. The unconventional device, patc it was a neat idea, struggled precisely because Microsoft has the same problems with its phones that information technology does with its laptops – it ne'er includes powerful decent componentry.
This time around, Microsoft has enclosed the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset, which is a conspicuous improvement over the Snapdragon 855. And while Microsoft has also included more RAM in the Surface Duo 2, with 8GB instead of 6GB, it still isn't quite enough for what this phone is trying to do.
In our ideal world, we would beryllium healthy to constantly run multiple tight apps side by root as our work requires – as it often does. But because Microsoft didn't include the 12GB of RAM that most flagship devices run these years, running a demanding app like, for instance, Genshin Impact, on top of Disagree is what light-emitting diode us to the UI crash we mentioned before.
But it's Sir Thomas More than UI crashes. Taking the Surface Duo on a trip upstate, there were several times that we had the camera open to seize pictures of the pleasant scenery, only for the phone to get stuck in the phone app. We couldn't swipe busy start home, or swipe back to exit, then the phone starts to be completely unresponsive.
When this happens, we have to diaphragm what we'ray doing and restart the call entirely, which takes a good 30 seconds just about. That's not a mete out if information technology happens one clip, only in our time with the twist, asymptomatic, it's been rather a trifle more than one time.
When the Surface Duo 2 works, it works toppingly, and starts to make us go steady exactly what Microsoft was going for. However, it is still way too buggy to really sell anyone that isn't immediately sold on the idea of the device. And so combined with the lack of RAM happening the device, which honestly likely contributes to the bugs, thanks to the two screens, IT really shows the flaws in Microsoft's approach to ironware design.
And this goes for the entire Surface lineup – from the Surface Dyad 2 to the Grade-constructed Studio – please halt underestimating how much power your users may need, especially for enterprise products like the Turn up Duo 2.
Battery life
Microsoft is claiming up to 15.5 hours of video playback and 28 hours of talk time, which in spades sounds impressive. However, we took it out over the weekend, and in truth put it to the test.
We took it on a sidereal day trip upstate, where we were taking a good deal of photos, browsing the web and doing a lot of messaging. And, advantageously, it falls short of Microsoft's claims a bit.
In our experience, the Surface Duo 2 only lasts around 10-12 hours before dying. This is more a standard workday, but if you're passing to be out and approximately like we are, it's simply not enough. Luckily, we travel with other people, indeed IT's not like the dead barrage would leave us stranded, but this is some gravely lackluster battery life.
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Jackie Thomas (Twitter) is TechRadar's America computing editor. She is fat, queer and passing online. Computers are the devil, but she just happens to be a satanist. If you need to have intercourse anything about computing components, Microcomputer gaming OR the best laptop computer on the marketplace, don't be afraid to bead her a dividing line happening Twitter or through email.
Microsoft Surface Duo 2 review
Source: https://www.techradar.com/reviews/surface-duo-2
