Despite the lackluster reception for its first dual-screen Android smartphone, it is apparent that Microsoft hasn’t given up on the device yet. Unveiled earlier during the company’s virtual launch event is the second generation Surface Duo 2, which packs plenty of improvements in terms of hardware and features over its predecessor.
First up is its display and design. While at first glance it may seem that the Surface Duo 2 looks no different than last year’s model, it is actually larger (albeit slightly) and comes with a new edge display along its hinge that shows notifications when in folded form. Speaking of displays, the smartphone comes with two 5.8-inch PixelSense AMOLED screens with a variable refresh rate of up to 90Hz and Corning Gorilla Glass Victus protection. When fully unfolded, both of which combine to form into a larger single 8.3-inch display.
Under the hood of the Surface Duo 2 is a 5G-enabled Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset, which is paired together with 8GB of RAM and an internal storage capacity of up to 512GB. Unfortunately, like its predecessor, it does not feature the ability that allows users to expand its storage via a microSD card. Battery-wise, the device packs a larger 4,449mAh battery which comes with 23W fast charging capability via USB-C.
Other than that, the new Microsoft dual-screen smartphone features adaptable stereo speakers, a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, and Android 11 out of the box. Naturally, the device is also compatible with the newly introduced Surface Slim Pen 2, which can be magnetically attached to its body.
One significant upgrade present on the Surface Duo 2 is its imaging system, which now features a triple camera setup – as opposed to the lonesome single rear camera on its predecessor. This new setup consists of a 12MP f/1.7 main camera, 12MP f/2.4 telephoto with 2x optical zoom, and a 16MP f/2.2 ultra wide-angle with 110-degree diagonal field of view and distortion correction. Its front-facing camera is also new, now featuring a 12MP f/2.0 sensor.
The Microsoft Surface Duo 2 will retail at a starting price of US$1,500, and is offered in Glacier and Obsidian colourways. Pre-orders for the are open today via the official Microsoft Surface website and the device is expected to be released at the same time as the launch of Windows 11, which is on 5 October 2021. Unfortunately, much like last year’s model, it is not known if the company is planning to have it shipped to Malaysia in the near future.
