Microsoft Surface Duo 2 Foldable Tablet (2021)
Product Gallery
Product Overview
Microsoft Surface Duo 2 is the 2nd iteration of Microsoft's foldable tablet / smartphone from last year. The most notable improvements include the more advanced tri-camera setup with new internal camera, larger display area with the same chassis dimensions, and a higher battery capacity.
The Surface Duo 2 uses Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 888 5G mobile computing platform with native 5G support. This is paired with up to 8GB of LPDDR5 memory.
The device's dual OLED displays have received a slight bump in size. They still cover 100% sRGB and DCI-P3 color spaces, though Corning Gorilla Glass Victus now protect them.
Microsoft's decision to endow the Surface Duo 2 with a very strong front and rear camera setup means that it is making a push for the device to compete more in the smartphone market. While it still makes for an unusually large handset, the productivity gains that its unique form factor provides may interest many power users.
Ratings
What we found**
Pros
- Gorgeous OLED displays
- Versatile form factor
- 5G connectivity
- Great camera setup
Cons
- Too big for a smartphone, but too small for a tablet
What external reviewers found***
External score 62% (not directly comparable across industries)
Pros
- Good camera
- Excellent performance
- Great battery life
Cons
- Poor touch response
- Poor battery life
- No IP rating
- No wireless charging
- No headphone jack
Price Comparison
Specifications
Connectivity
Ports
USB-C 3.2 GEN2
Wireless Connectivity
WiFi 6 + Bluetooth 5.1 + NFC
Construction
Battery | Capacity
4449 mAh (typical) dual battery
Camera | Front
12MP, f/2.0, 24 mm,1.0µm
Camera | Rear | Telephoto
12MP, f/2.4 aperture, 51 mm, 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS and 2X optical zoom
Camera | Rear | Ultra-Wide
16MP, f/2.2 aperture, 13 mm, 1.0µm, 110o diagonal field of view with distortion correction
Camera | Rear | Wide
12MP, f/1.7 aperture, 27 mm, 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF and OIS
Colors
Glacier, Obsidian
Material
Corning Gorilla Glass Victus
Speakers
Stereo speakers
Dimensions
Size | Depth
5.5 mm (unfolded) / 11.0 mm (folded)
Size | Height
145.2 mm
Size | Width
184.5 mm (unfolded) / 92.1 mm (folded)
Weight
284 g
Display
Brightness
800 nits
Display Diagonal
8.3 inch (unfolded) / 5.8 inch (folded)
Display Type
OLED, PixelSense Fuhsion displays (AMOLED)
Gamut
100% sRGB, 100% DCI-P3
Pixel Density
401 ppi
Refresh Rate
90 Hz
Resolution
2688 x 1892
Function
Bluetooth Profiles
aptX, aptX HD
GPS
GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, BeiDou, QZSS
HDR
Yes
Operating System
Android 11
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G Mobile Platform
Security
Fingerprint
Sensor
Dual Accelerometer, Dual Gyroscope, Dual Magnetometer, Dual Ambient Light Sensor, Dual Proximity Sensor, Hall Sensor, Fingerprint Sensor
SIM
1x nanoSIM + 1x eSIM 5G
Video Codecs
HEVC and H.264
Video Recording
4K 60 fps / FHD 60 fps / slow-mo 240 fps
Performance
Battery Life
Up to 15.5 h or video playback, 28 h of talk time
Memory | Capacity
8 GB
Memory | Type
LPDDR5
Power Supply
23 W
Storage
128, 256, 512 GB
Production
Availability
2021-10-21
Debut
2021-09
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Launch Comparison
Clear List
3rd-Party Review Videos
External Reviews
gizmodo[1]
Reviewer score 77%Microsoft has finally added the kind of flagship specs that its dual-screen phone needs to make good on its vision. The Duo 2 measures just 0.21 inches thick when fully opened, and Microsoft claims it's the thinnest 5G mobile device on the market. Microsoft added a new 12-MP selfie camera on the inside along with a huge new triple-lens rear camera module.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Incredibly thin and light
- Foldable design
- Excellent battery life
- IPX7 water resistance
Cons
- No wireless charging
- No IP rating
gizmodo[2]
Reviewer score 59%The Duo 2's cameras are more than serviceable, but the result is grainy. Even with upgraded 23-watt wired charging, Microsoft still didn’t include support for wireless charging. Microsoft spent so much time addressing the original Surface Duo’s shortcomings, that it didn't have time to add new features.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Foldable and foldable
- Two screens
- Water-resistance and wireless charging
- Long battery life
Cons
- No waterproofing
- No water resistance
- Camera module isn’t great
digitaltrends[3]
Reviewer score 58%The Microsoft Surface Duo 2 will be available starting at $1,499.99 from Microsoft.com and from retail outlets such as Best Buy. It's available in the U.S., U.K., Canada, France, Germany, and Japan. At the same time, this phone doesn't deliver the perfection that the price tag commands.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Excellent performance
- Good battery life
- Good camera
Cons
- Camera is slow to capture photos
- No wireless charging
laptopmag[4]
Reviewer score 72%The Surface Duo 2's UI is a lot more responsive than the original Duo. You can still create App Groups for pairing two apps together into one folder. Spanning continues to work like a charm, allowing you to drag-and-drop apps. The camera app doesn't seem stable, especially when the screen times out.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Triple-lens, rear-facing camera
- Great battery life
- Foldable display
Cons
- Unresponsive camera app
- Unresponsive keyboard
pcmag[5]
Reviewer score 56%Microsoft's Surface Duo 2 is the Wolverine of mobile multitasking. It's not quite a phone of its own, but it lives in its own category. For speakerphone calls in a quiet room, the Duo 2's table-tent mode is very compelling. It doesn't do things other $1,500 phones can, like deliver class-leading image quality.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Class-leading image quality
- Good battery life
- Dual-SIM and microSD card support
Cons
- No rear-facing camera
- No headphone jack
techradar[6]
Reviewer score 83%The Microsoft Surface Duo 2 is a huge improvement over the original device. It's faster, has a better camera and brings some important design improvements to the table. Microsoft has included a fingerprint reader again, but this time it built it right into the power button. The displays are also bigger than they were previously, thanks to much smaller bezels.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Much faster than the original
- Bigger display
- Improved battery life
Cons
- No fingerprint reader
theverge[7]
Reviewer score 42%The original Duo launched with Android 10 and had countless bugs. Many months later, it has received numerous updates, but it’s still on Android 10. The Duo 2 is launching with Android 11 and the company promises three years of updates, including monthly bug fixes and security patches. The biggest issue by far is a familiar one to the Duo line: poor touch response.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Sleek design
- Easy one-handed use
- Built-in pen
Cons
- Poor touch response
- Poor battery life
tomsguide[8]
Reviewer score 73%Microsoft has turned to the same Snapdragon 888 chipset found in the top Android devices. In terms of benchmarks, that translates to performance that's close to what you'd expect from phones with similar specs. Apps run smoothly on the Surface Duo 2 and graphics look sharp enough in demanding games.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Gorgeous dual-screen display
- Excellent battery life
- 5G connectivity
Cons
- Nothing in particular
wired[9]
Reviewer score 42%resolution display panels have respectable 90-Hz refresh rates. The camera is decent, but for a $1,500 phone, it underperformed. Microsoft built a “glance bar” on the spine where you can see the phone’s charging status or an incoming call or text.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Folds 360 degrees, with the display facing outward
- Good battery life
- Foldable 360-degree display
Cons
- No tap-to-wake
- Unresponsive touchscreen
- No fingerprint unlock
User Reviews
Comments
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References
- ^ Microsoft's Foldable Surface Duo 2 Looks to Fix All the Original's Mistakes. [gizmodo]. https://gizmodo.com/microsofts-foldable-surface-duo-2-looks-to-fix-all-the-1847722049. 2021-09-22. Retrieved 2021-10-10.
- ^ The Surface Duo 2 Is Not Good. [gizmodo]. https://gizmodo.com/the-surface-duo-2-is-not-good-1847996602. 2021-11-05. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
- ^ Microsoft Surface Duo 2 review: A great second impression. [digitaltrends]. https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/microsoft-surface-duo-2-review/. 2021-10-21. Retrieved 2021-10-22.
- ^ Microsoft Surface Duo 2 review. [laptopmag]. https://www.laptopmag.com/reviews/microsoft-surface-duo-2-review. 2021-10-21. Retrieved 2021-10-25.
- ^ Microsoft Surface Duo 2 Review. [pcmag]. https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/microsoft-surface-duo-2. 2021-10-21. Retrieved 2021-10-22.
- ^ Hands on: Surface Duo 2 review. [techradar]. https://www.techradar.com/reviews/surface-duo-2. 2021-09-22. Retrieved 2021-10-10.
- ^ Microsoft Surface Duo 2 review: Duo-over or strike two?. [theverge]. https://www.theverge.com/22738082/microsoft-surface-duo-2-review-folding-phone-dual-screen-multitasking. 2021-10-21. Retrieved 2021-11-25.
- ^ Microsoft Surface Duo 2 review: Vastly improved and still flawed. [tomsguide]. https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/microsoft-surface-duo-2. 2021-10-21. Retrieved 2021-10-22.
- ^ Review: Microsoft Surface Duo 2. [wired]. https://www.wired.com/review/microsoft-surface-duo-2/. 2021-11-04. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
The MSRP provided on this page may not apply to all regions equally. For the current price, please refer to the Price Comparison section.
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These key takeaways ("pros" and "cons") and summaries are identified from third-party reviews. They may differ from the original texts.
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