Microsoft Surface Duo

Overview

The Surface Duo is decent as a phone, quite bad as a tablet, and somewhat functional as everything in between. That is, when the software works as promised. But bugs and app incompatibility plague this $1,399 device, which will need monthly updates from Microsoft to fix its numerous issues.

-- As reviewed by Engadget

There is a new version available:

Microsoft Surface Duo 2

Check out the reviews, price history, pros/cons and more.

See it on Amazon: $2450

TechSpot Metascore

Based on 8 expert reviews

Excellent:

0
Good:

2
Average:

1
Bad:

5

8.4

User Score

Based on 855 reviews
as rated by users

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Last revision on April 4, 2024

Reviewers Liked

Best dual-window experience on Android
Compose, tent and book postures add versatility
Smooth hinge
I like Microsoft's user interface
Will get monthly updates
Excellent build quality
At its best, the Duo is just plain fun

Reviewers Didn't Like

Buggy
Awkward to hold
Very high price
Camera is hard to use
Few compatible apps at the moment
Lack of a front-facing notification panel
Lacks wireless charging and MicroSD card slot
Lack of water resistance
Terrible Bluetooth performance
No 5G

Competitors and Related Products

Our editors hand-pick related products using a variety of criteria: direct competitors targeting the same market segment, or devices that are similar in size, performance, or feature sets.

Expert reviews and ratings

It’s unlike anything else out there, but the Microsoft Surface Duo may test your patience.

By Stuff on May 03, 2021

Microsoft's folding Surface Duo phone tries to redefine windowing for a handheld world, but it stumbles on usability.

By PCMag on September 10, 2020

The Surface Duo is a right step in a different direction for Microsoft's mobile efforts. This dual-screen Android device is far from perfect, but it's a great starting point for what is surely to come.

By Mashable on September 10, 2020

By Engadget on September 10, 2020

Microsoft has gotten knocked out of the pocketable device games at least four times before — from WinCE to PocketPC to Windows Mobile to Windows Phone, this company is intimately familiar with failure. But in the Duo, I can see Microsoft learning from all those mistakes, and I’m glad to see the company back in the fight again. I hope that this first Surface Duo isn’t its last round.

By The Verge on September 10, 2020

What Microsoft has here is promising. I firmly believe multiscreen mobile devices are the future, and the Duo has cemented this notion. Having the extra screen makes me feel like I have room to breathe. I just wish the experience was far more polished than its current state. I'm already thinking about the Duo's successor—I hope Microsoft gets it right on the second try.

By Wired on September 10, 2020

The Surface Duo completely changes how you use your mobile device. More akin to a pocket-shaped laptop than an actual phone, the Surface Duo is probably the best device around for mobile productivity right now, even if the slightly dated hardware leaves something to be desired.

By TechRadar on September 10, 2020

The Surface Duo is an ambitious, flawed first-generation product that showcases what's possible with new form factors without fully realizing them.

By AndroidCentral on September 10, 2020

In the grand scheme of foldable devices, maybe $1,400 isn’t that much, perhaps. But compared to the vast majority of smartphone and tablet flagships out there, it’s a lot. Especially for something that still feels like a first generation work in progress. For now, it feels like a significant chunk of the price is invested in novelty and being an early adopter for a promising device.

By TechCrunch on September 10, 2020

I don't know if I'd like the Z Fold 2 any better than the Surface Duo, but The Z Fold 2 is Samsung's second-year effort on folding phones. The Surface Duo ends up seeming, by comparison, like an idea that could still use another year of fleshing out. But even if the Z Fold 2 never existed, I'd still feel dissatisfied with aspects of the Surface Duo.

By cnet on September 10, 2020

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Microsoft Surface Duo

Overview

Pros & Cons

Reviews

Price: $1,099