The Microsoft Surface Duo 2 is Microsoft’s second attempt at being a staple in the world of handheld foldables. In comparison with the first-gen surface duo, we have got an improved display, an improved performance setup and more. The question here is if the upgrades are enough to make the Surface duo relevant in its category.
Microsoft Surface Duo 2 Key Specs & Features
- 8.3-inch AMOLED Touchscreen, 1892 x 2688 Pixels (401 PPI), 90Hz Refresh Rate
- Folded Position Display: 5.8-inch, AMOLED, 1344 x 1892 Pixels
- Android 11
- Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm)
- 8GB RAM
- 128GB/ 256GB / 512GB built-in storage
- 12MP + 12MP + 16MP Triple Rear Cameras
- 12MP Front Camera
- 4G LTE
- Fingerprint Sensor (Side-Mounted)
- 23W Fast Charging
- 4449mAh Non-Removable Li-Po Battery
Design and Display
Taking a casual first look at the Microsoft Surface Duo 2, may make the design changes feel insubstantial. However that isn’t the case in the entire.
For starters, Microsoft is offering bigger display at 8.3-inches, as opposed to the 8.1-inch display. Aside from an increase in size, as also have a higher refresh rate at 90Hz in lieu of the 60Hz refresh rate on the panel.
Microsoft retained an AMOLED panel on the display which is good news. Due to the increase in size of the overall unfolded display, we also have a bigger singular display at 5.8-inch as opposed to being 5.6-inch on the former.
Away from the display sizes, the displays are now curved at the edges, which is aesthetically pleasing to an extent. The advent of this curved edged paved way for system where users can check notifications from the side of the device when closed.
Speaking of the tablet being closed, Microsoft once again didn’t add an outer display like we have seen on the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Fold Z Fold 3 5G and the Xiaomi Mi Mix fold .
Having a outer display would have in no doubt come in handy, as it would save us the stress of having to unfold the device little tasks. I guess we could conclude that the Microsoft Surface Duo 2 isn’t a hybrid after all and it should be best described as a foldable tablet.
The rear of the tablet when folded bears a camera bump which wasn’t really on the first edition. This camera bump is home to three cameras. You would also find an LED flash beside.
The Cameras
Comparing the cameras on the Microsoft Surface Duo 2 to the ones on the first-gen Surface shows a Microsoft did make a lot of efforts to making the camera hardware conventional.
The highlight of the efforts / upgrade, is the presence of a dedicated rear and selfie cameras, as opposed to just the selfie camera which also doubled as the rear camera when folded.
On the rear, we have a 12MP primary camera with an aperture of f/1.7, a 12MP telephoto camera with an aperture of f/2.4 and a 16MP ultrawide camera with an aperture of f/2.2. This setup records videos up to 4k @ 60fps.
The selfie department is manned by a 12MP single selfie camera with an aperture of f/2.0. This camera is capable of recording videos up to 1080p @ 30fps.
Hardware and Software
Moving on to what’s on the performance setup. Unlike what we had on the first-gen release, the Microsoft Surface Duo 2 did actually match its hardware with 2021 specs.
Onboard we have an Octa-core Qualcomm 888 5G processor, an Adreno 640 GPU, 8GB RAM, 128GB / 256GB and 512GB built-in storage. We also have 4449mAh Li-Po battery. We also have a 23W fast charging mechanism.
On the software side, the smartphone runs its software on-top of the Android 11 operating system.
The multi-tasking provisions we had on the first-gen surface are also present here. This means we can have different tasks running on the different divisions of the tab. You can also have your game playing on one the screen and have the controls on the other screen.
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Connectivity
The Microsoft Surface Duo 2 features a USB Type-c port, low-energy Bluetooth 5.1, NFC, WiFi / Hotspot.
Internet connectivity on the Microsoft Surface Duo 2 is capped at 5G connectivity which means enthusiasts can utilize 5G connectivity.
Microsoft Surface Duo 2 Price and Availability
Microsoft Surface Duo 2 price starts at around $1,249.99. This translates to about 615,311 in Naira, 166,649 KSH in Kenya and 9,165 GHC in Ghana.
The Microsoft Surface Duo 2 was announced on the 22nd of September 2021 and released for purchase on October 22, 2021.
Microsoft Surface Duo 2 Specs
Here are a few specs of the Microsoft Surface Duo 2 :
General Features
- Platform: Android 11
- Processor: Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (5nm) (1×2.84 GHz Kryo 680 & 3×2.42 GHz Kryo 680 & 4×1.80 GHz Kryo 680)
- GPU: Adreno 640
- Memory: 8GB RAM
- Colours: White
- Dimension: Unfolded: 184.5 x 145.2 x 5.5 mm – Folded: 145.2 x 92.1 x 11 mm
- Weight: 284g
- SIM Type: Nano-SIM, eSIM
- SIM Count: Dual-SIM
Display
- Display: 8.3-inches AMOLED Touchscreen, 1800 x 2700 Pixels, 90Hz Refresh Rate (Unfolded) – 5.8-inch, AMOLED, 1344 x 1892 Pixels (Folded)
- Screen Protection: Corning Gorilla Glass 5
- Foldable Display: –
Camera
- Rear Camera: 12MP (Primary) f/1.7 + 12MP (Telephoto) f/2.4 + 16MP (Ultrawide) f/2.2
- Rear Camera Features: Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, panorama
- Front Camera: 12MP Camera, f/2.0
Storage
- Built-in Storage: 128GB / 256GB / 512GB
- Memory Card Support: No
- Bundled Cloud Storage: –
Network Support
- 2G GSM: 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
- 2G CDMA 1X: –
- 3G WCDMA: 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100
- 3G CDMA EVDO: –
- 4G LTE: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66, 71
- 5G: 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 20, 25, 28, 38, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 – International 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 20, 25, 28, 38, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79, 257, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave – USA
Internet & Connectivity
- GPRS: Yes
- EDGE: Yes
- 3G/WCDMA/HSPA: Yes
- HSPA+: Yes
- CDMA EVDO: –
- 4G LTE: Yes
- 5G: No
- WLAN: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct
- Wi-Fi Hotspot: Yes
- Bluetooth: 5.1, A2DP, LE, aptX Adaptive
- NFC: Yes
- Infrared Blaster: –
- USB Port: USB Type-C 3.2, DisplayPort
Messaging
- SMS/MMS: Yes
- Instant Messaging: Yes
- Push Emails: Yes
- Email Protocol: Yes
Entertainment
- Music Player: Yes
- Video Player: Yes
- FM Radio: No
- Loudspeaker: Yes
- 3.5mm Jack: –
Navigation
- Navigation: A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS, BDS
- Maps: Yes
Sensors & Control
- Digital Compass: –
- Accelerometer: Yes
- Proximity Sensor: Yes
- Light Sensor: –
- Barometer: –
- SpO2: –
- Pedometer: –
- Heart Rate Monitor: No
- Gyroscope: –
- Fingerprint Scanner: Yes (Side-Mounted)
- Iris Scanner: –
- Face Unlock: –
- Stylus Pen: Yes
- Intelligent Digital Assistant: Yes
- Motion Sensing / Gesture Control: –
- Voice Control: Yes
Other Features
- Video Streaming: Yes
- Active Noise Cancellation: –
- Wireless Charging: No
- Built-in Mobile Payment: –
- Water Resistant: No
- Dust Resistant: No
- Image Editor: –
- Video Editor: –
- Document Viewer: –
- Document Editor: –
Battery
- Battery: 4449 mAh Non-Removable Li-Po Battery
- Talktime: –
- Standby Time: –
- Fast Charging: 23W Capacity
