Microsoft announced its new Surface product line, including the Android smartphone Surface Duo 2, which finally has top-of-the-range features. The Redmond company maintains it same two-screen form-factor as its predecessor. But this time it chooses a competitive processor, a very high quality camera system and 5G. It also uses larger, curved screens, truly top of the range. Too bad it only arrives in Italy for companies and schools.
Microsoft chooses top features for Surface Duo 2
Two screens allow you to use a smartphone to the maximum, with the possibility of larger images, extreme multitasking and lots of useful functions, such as the ability to edit a photograph by holding the image on one side and the retouching tools on the other. All things that we could already try with the first Duo. But this time Microsoft has focused on quality and it looks good, already from the presentation.
Indeed we find two 5.8-inch 1344 × 1892 OLED screens, with rounded edges, which would already be excellent on a smartphone taken individually. But the hinge between the two screens joins them firmly, so much so that you can even use your smartphone “in a curtain” or in a similar way to a laptop. United, the two screens form one from 8.3 inches of diagonal, with refresh rate da 90Hz. A quality tablet, with the safety of Corning glass.
Also interesting is the possibility to see the notifications with the smartphone closed book-like, thanks to the screens that fold near the hinge. You can see how many emails have arrived without even having to open it.
But it is in the technical equipment that Surface Duo 2 makes the real leap in quality compared to its predecessor.
Top-of-the-range technical features, finally
The first Duo had a Snapdragon 855 processor, a great component but not the best on the market. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 that we find in the Duo 2 instead is the best Android has to offer, including the 5G connectivity, which we now also expect on much less expensive top-of-the-range devices. Microsoft has provided 8GB in RAM: there are those who do better but they are more than enough to never have slowdowns on Android. The memory ranges from 128Gb to 512GB.
There is the essential now NFC for wireless payments but wireless charging is missing (but there is the fast one at 23W via USB-C 3.2). The double battery is 4449 mAh , with Microsoft ensuring a full day of autonomy.
Surface Duo 2: a camera with excellent features
In a world where smartphone cameras are becoming more and more performing, it becomes difficult to make comparisons. Microsoft has chosen not to fight with other rivals for those with sensors with more megapixels (as does Apple) but to focus on the quality of the sensors. Which are three, with wide-angle and telephoto lenses that also have the OIS stabilization, perfect for video recording in 4K (for the wide angle even at 60 fps). We also find l’HDR, automatic detection to use night mode e one fluid zoom from 0.5x to 10x. In short, everything a top of the range needs to define itself as such.
The rear camera optics in particular are:
- Wide angle: 12 MP, f/1.73, 27,2 mm, 1,4 µm, Dual Pixel PDAF e OIS
- Telephoto: 12 MP, f / 2.4, 51.1 mm, 1 µm, PDAF, OIS and 2X optical zoom
- Ultra wide angle: 16 MP, f / 2.2, 12.5mm, 1µm, FF, 0.5x optical zoom and 120 diagonal field of view
The camera from selfie instead it has 12 MP, f/2.0, 23,9 mm, 1 µm, FF. A truly complete package for this dual-screen smartphone.
A flexible device. Too bad that we only arrive at the office and school
At the presentation Microsoft showed the photographic capabilities of this smartphone but also the possibility to play it with Xbox Game Pass. There are even 150 optimized games for the dual screen of Duo 2, including immediately Asphalt Legends 9, Modern Combat 5 e Dungeon Hunter 5.
Too bad that in Italy it will only be sold to companies and schools. Productivity is certainly the main focus of this device. Microsoft engineers made sure to show how you can see recent Office documents and keep working, rather than having a video call on Teams in a second. And the ability to use the Surface Pen 2, with tactile feedback and magnetically attaches to the smartphone. But we also wanted to try it in other contexts: Microsoft worked to make it a complete smartphone, a top of the range for everyone. A shame to close it in the office.
But businesses and schools should contact the Microsoft team to try it out. Others can only find it in the USA, UK, Canada, France, Germany and Japan. The price in France varies from 1599 euros to 1899 euros. The price of a top of the range, indeed almost two.