Microsoft gave a surprise by releasing the successor to the folding HP Surface Duo, which was launched in April 2020. A device called Surface Duo 2 brings higher specifications but makes the price more expensive than its predecessor.
The Surface Duo 2 has a 5.8-inch PixelSense Fusion Display with an AMOLED panel with a resolution of 1344 x 1892 pixels and is protected by Gorilla Glass Victus glass. When stretched, the screen becomes 8.3 inches with a resolution of 2688×1892 pixels and has an adaptive refresh rate of 90Hz, 100% SRGB, DCI-P3, a maximum brightness of 800 nits.
Unlike before, the Surface Duo 2's screen is slightly curved on the inner edges. So that when the device is folded, the indentation is visible from the outside and lights up to show notifications.
No less interesting, this folding cellphone is powered by Snapdragon 888 5G which is formulated with 8 GB of LPDDR5 RAM. Microsoft provides three internal storage options, namely 128, 256 and 512 GB.
There are three cameras on the back. The main camera is 12MP with an aperture of f/1.7 equipped with OIS and dual LED flash. Coupled with a 16MP ultra-wide camera with an f/2.2 aperture, as well as a 12MP telephoto camera with an f/2.4 aperture that has OIS promises 2x optical zoom.
Surface Duo 2 runs Android 11 which integrates with Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Teams. Users are promised to be able to run two Android applications simultaneously on each screen.
Microsoft has also installed a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, stereo audio, NFC and support for various accessories including the Surface Slim Pen 2 which can be attached magnetically to the outside of the device for charging.
The Surface Duo 2 itself doesn't support wireless charging. The battery with a capacity of 4,449mAh can be recharged using a USB Type C cable and supports 23W fast charging.
Surface Duo 2 Photo: Microsoft
Microsoft Surface Duo 2 Specifications
5.8-inch (1344 x 1892 pixels) AMOLED 13:9 single PixelSense Display, 401 PPI, 8.3-inch (2688×1892 pixels) AMOLED 13:9 when unfolded, 90Hz adaptive refresh rate, 100% SRGB, DCI-P3, 800 nits max brightness, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus protection
Snapdragon 888 5nm Mobile Platform with Adreno 660 . GPU
8GB LPPDR5 RAM
UFS 3.1 internal memory 128GB / 256GB / 512GB
Android 11
One eSIM and one Nano SIM
Side-mounted Fingerprint Sensor
12MP camera with f/1.7 aperture, OIS, dual LED Flash, 16MP ultra-wide camera with f/2.2 aperture, 12MP telephoto camera with f/2.4 aperture, OIS, 2X optical zoom, 4K video recording at up to 60 fps
12MP front camera with f/2.0 aperture
USB Type-C Audio, Stereo speakers, Dual Mic AI-based noise suppression and acoustic echo cancellation
Dimensions: 145.2x 184.5x 5.50 (opened) / 145.2x 92.1 x 11mm (closed); weight: 284g
Connections: 5G SA/NSA, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 6 ax (2.4/5GHz), Bluetooth 5.1, GPS/GLONASS, DisplayPort over USB-C, NFC
Battery: 4,449mAh with 23W fast charging
Microsoft Surface Duo 2 price
This folding cellphone can already be ordered in a number of countries and will be shipped starting October 21. The Microsoft Surface Duo 2 comes in Glacier and Obsidian colors, priced at $1,500 for the 128GB version, $1,600 for the 256GB version and the 512GB version costs $1,800.
Last year, Microsoft sold the Surface Duo for $1,399.