Microsoft does not cease in its attempt to return to the mobile telephony market and on September 22 will present Surface Duo 2. The company’s objective is to take advantage of the segment of folding smartphones to gain the relevance lost in this world.
Although the first Surface Duo was not presented as a phone to use, Microsoft seems to have withdrawn this vision with the second version of the device. Surface Duo 2 will improve with features that we see in any smartphone on the market: cameras, NFC and the latest Qualcomm processor.
Goodbye to symmetry
The design of Surface Duo 2 abandons the symmetry proposed by the first version, at least on the outside, to give way to its new camera module. Inside, we find two larger screens, reaching 5.8 inches, thanks to the reduction of the frames.
In terms of size, it will be somewhat longer than its predecessor due to this increased diagonal. Also, it will be somewhat thicker than the first Surface Duo motivated by a larger battery and the inclusion of new internal components, as we will see below.
On the other hand, it seems that users will have more customization options. According Windows Central, this second version of the folding phone would arrive with a variant in black, in addition to the current glacier white.
Surface Duo 2 Specifications
Surface Duo 2 will abandon all the limitations and criticized points of its predecessor. This time, will arrive with 5G connectivity and the latest Qualcomm processor, the Snapdragon 888. However, the best news comes in the photographic section.
OS | Android 11 |
Screens | 2 x 5.8 inches 4: 3 aspect ratio Resolution 2754 x 1896 AMOLED panel |
Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 |
Storage | 128 GB 256 GB Not expandable |
RAM | 8 GB |
Cameras | Main 12MP 12MP telephoto 16MP Ultra Wide |
Security | Fingerprint sensor |
Ports and connectivity | NanoSIM card slot USB-C port NFC WiFi 6 Bluetooth 5.1 5G |
Battery | 4400 mAh |
Pen | Surface Slim Pen |
As we see, Microsoft’s folding device improves in all aspects. Surface Duo 2 will mount Qualcomm’s latest high-end processor, in addition to starting with a 128 GB storage and 8 GB of RAM. Also, it is worth noting the increase in battery capacity, which was one of the most criticized points of its predecessor.
The jump in connectivity is important, since it comes with 5G. To this, we must add the Bluetooth 5.1 and WiFi 6 connections, but, above all, the possibility of making payments with Surface Duo 2 stands out thanks to the integration of NFC technology.
The big leap from Surface Duo 2 is the camera
It seems that Microsoft wants to bring the “Lumia experience” back to the Surface Duo 2. This time, it will have three lenses for the usual functions of almost any smartphone: main camera, telephoto and ultra-panoramic. However, those from Redmond will not enter the battle of megapixels or big numbers and will focus on giving the best possible experience through the software.
The main drawback of this novelty is that they protrude from the body of the device, which prevents it from being completely folded when used as a conventional smartphone (with a single screen). To avoid damage, the camera module is slightly inclined, which allows one surface to rest on the other without too much difficulty.
In this way, Surface Duo 2 matches other folding phones on the market. In addition, it allows the user to take photos with ease, instead of having to open the application and fold the phone to capture images with the selfie camera. Remember that this point was one of the most criticized by reviewers around the world.
Surface Duo 2 price and availability
At the moment, the price of the Surface Duo 2 is unknown, although everything seems to point to that It will exceed the 1,549 of which the first Surface Duo started in Europe. Considering the market, it is possibly closer to the 1,809 euros of the Samsung Galaxy Fold3 5G.
Microsoft will present the device during the event on September 22. However, it is not expected that it can be acquired until October, and it will arrive with Android 11 under the hood.
Also, Microsoft is quite likely to repeat the same launch strategy that it used with the Surface Duo. Therefore, we would have to wait a few months for the device to land on European soil and several more weeks to be able to acquire it in Spain.