In 2019 October, Microsoft took a bold step to announce its upcoming Android foldable phone that was to launch nearly a year later. Two new forthcoming devices were announced at the time; the Surface Neo and Surface Duo.
Surface Neo is a dual-screen laptop running Windows 10X, while Surface Duo is the company’s latest attempt to start making phones.
Surface Duo is here to challenge other foldable phones ala the Galaxy Z Fold 2, Z Flip, Huawei Mate X, and others.
Meet the new dual-screen phone in town;
To the spec sheet, Surface Duo has two identical 1080p PixelSense AMOLED displays. Both have a 4:3 aspect ratio, over 400 PPI, and are coated on top with Corning® Gorilla® Glass for protection. The screens can fold by 360 degrees, leaving you with a moderate 5.6-inch display. When opened flat, both displays provide an expansive 8.1-inch panel.
And if you’re wondering how thick or thin is this device, check out the image below.
Surface Duo is slightly thicker than a USB Type C when opened and 9.9mm when folded.
With 6GB of RAM paired with Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, 128/256GB of ROM, a 3577mAh (typical) dual battery with 18W fast charging, and an 11MP f/2.0 “Adaptive camera,” don’t expect the Surface Duo to be the new power device on the block.
For the record, Microsoft isn’t trying to challenge existing phones with killer specs, either.
The dual-screen device isn’t meant “to reinvent the phone, but to inspire people to rethink how they want to use the device in their pocket.”
Surface Duo is all about productivity. With the dual screens, you have several screen modes to use – either individually or together. For instance, when using the Amazon Kindle app, you can read a book, like a “book.”
You can drag and drop images, texts, and files between screens, view Microsoft Teams participants on one screen and present your PowerPoint on the other, and so on. Microsoft’s Office 365 productivity suite apps have specifically been optimized for Surface Duo and can span across the two screens.
From a productivity point of view, a dual-screen device can be very crucial. It helps you cut slack by avoiding switching between apps, which, theoretically, can mean increased productivity.
Price
Surface Duo will cost you $1399, around Ksh 140,000 on the low end for the 6GB/128GB model. It will be available on sale starting September 10 in the US market.
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