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First Microsoft Surface Duo 2 Reviews Are Not Impressive

Surface Duo 2

The first reviews of the new Surface Duo 2 smartphone are here – and they are mixed. We took a look at the first opinions of the technology bloggers and summarized the most important findings.

In the run-up to the presentation of the second generation of the Surface Duo, Microsoft left no doubt that they want to eradicate all the “teething problems” that the folding smartphone had at the premiere. But already at the presentation of the Surface Duo 2, it was clear: Technically, the company would have had to dig deeper into its bag of tricks in order to make the device interesting not only for a narrow niche. The first hands-on reviews of the Duo 2 are now available – and they confirm that Microsoft still has plenty of room for innovation.

Extensive reviews, but not impressive

We only draw brief opinions from the reviews. Actually, all of the magazines linked by us have published very detailed tests on the Surface Duo 2 that are well worth reading. However, a lot of fun or fascination did not seem to come around during the testing. If you are not only interested in the conclusion, but also in the way there, you should definitely read the reviews in full.

The Verge thinks the Surface Duo 2 is an ambitious advancement but says Microsoft’s second attempt at a foldable phone only fixes some of the flaws of the original, “but not everything. The Duo 2 is maybe 75 percent of the way there. I can see the potential. But unfortunately it doesn’t do him justice, “writes Dan Seifert. According to Seifert, there are still too many frustrating bugs, a relatively bad camera, and a price that is too high.

We shall hear this criticism a few more times. Engadget, for example, also comes to the conclusion that the Duos 2 is still plagued by unreliable software despite some improvements.

“Microsoft’s second dual-screen hybrid is a disappointment,” said Cherlynn Low. The device gets too warm during operation and there are too many bugs that make productive work difficult for the user.

Tech Radar finds the Surface Duo 2 much better than the original Surface Duo. It is “incredibly close to a solid, finished product” – which, however, means that Microsoft would have preferred to put a few more years of development work into it. There are a lot of bugs in the user interface, and Tech Radar editor Jackie Thomas doesn’t understand why they only chose 8GB of RAM for a device so focused on productivity.

The Criticism

There is still a lot of criticism to be read about the new Surface Duo 2 at Windows Central. The bottom line is that Microsoft is taking a big step in the right direction, but much remains to be done. In fact, author Daniel Rubino believes that the software still holds the duo from being really great.

Surface Duo 2 Technical Specifications

Surface Duo 2 5G
operating systemAndroid 11
DisplayDual PixelSense Fusion Display, open 8.3 inches AMOLED, 2688 x 1892 pixels, Single PixelSense Screen 5.8 inches AMOLED, 1344 x 1892 pixels; 401 ppi, HDR, 100% SRGB, DCI-P3, 90 Hertz, 800 nits, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus
processorQualcomm Snapdragon 888
random access memory8 GB LPDDR5 RAM
Storage128/256/512 GB, no expansion possible
camera12 MP wide angle, f / 1.7, 1.4 µm, dual pixel PDAF and OIS
12 MP telephoto, f / 2.4, 1.0 µm, PDAF, OIS, 2x optical zoom
16 MP ultra wide angle, f / 2.2, 1.0 µm, 110 °
Front camera12MP, f / 2.0, 1.0 µm
SensorsAccelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, hall sensor, fingerprint sensor
links5G , WiFi 6 AX, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, Nano-SIM, e-SIM
SatellitesGPS, Galileo, GLONASS, BeiDou, QZSS
AudioStereo speakers, Dual Mic AI-based noise and acoustic echo cancellation, Wake on Voice (Google Assistant)
battery pack4449 mAh, fast charging with 23 watts
Input deviceSurface Pen support
DimensionsOpen 145.2 x 184.5 x 5.5 mm, closed 145.2 x 92.1 x 11 mm
weight284 grams
pricefrom 1599 euros