Surface Duo 2

The base model has been dipping under $1000 fairly regularly lately. I wonder if it’ll get down to $500 this autumn? Possibly not since the Duo Uno is still selling at $400-ish. I’m amazed there is still new stock laying around!
https://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Surface-Duo-128GB-Unlocked/dp/B09H8ZWQ3V

1 Like

I actually like the Duo, and even more so the Duo 2 with its improvements. But in our customer base at least, it has sold far less than the original did and the original didn’t exactly set the world on fire.

You almost have to wonder if it has some specific high level MS exec advocating for it almost like an indulgence or vanity project.

OTOH regardless of the rest, the one good thing it has spurred MS to do is make significant improvements in their Android Office apps which benefits many, albeit they still seem to be at least a couple steps back of the IOS versions

1 Like

Yeah, I nearly got a Duo Deux last year—had it on order—so I can say that I dislike the device in theory. I’m a little disappointed that it seems they won’t release a third iteration this year, delayed for reassessment or whatever, which with Microsoft usually means cancelled. I was curious to see how it would evolve. At the very least it was something different.

For all end users - and the Android faithful in particular - if the Duo project produces this result, we have been fortunate. The more I think about the SDuo OG announcement that “this is not a phone,” the more I think I understand about where MS wanted to go. Perhaps Duo was supposed to be the jump to the universal handheld data terminal - which happens to do voice and video, down payment on the first Tony Stark pocket device? Enough screen(s) to see more than a single app at a time, always on, all your stuff at your fingertips and in your (large-ish) pocket.

Someone will bring that concept to market. Here’s hoping for sooner rather than later.

1 Like

So…

I sold the Duo 2, after two days, dropping back to a 256Gb Duo 1. As the duo 2 didn’t fold flat, it annoyed the heck out of me.

We basically bought three,
-One for me (256Gb) - Now sold
-One for a staff member - Still has it
-One for a new starter - Didn’t like it, (I’m now using it)

The new staff member’s Duo was tested by two others and although they liked the multi-tasking, they didn’t think much of the call quality.

Personally, I’ve managed to force integrate it into my life for media duty, editing word documents and a bit of social media. It’s up against a Huawei mate 20 x which, frankly, (IMO) is a considerably better device. Just using Instagram is easier on the Mate x due to screen size.

What boils my goat, on the Duo, is the Photos application. it’s basically OneDrive. I DO NOT WANT that. I want OneDrive to be be where it is and the photos app to do what it does. Heck, when Instagram saves the uploaded pictures, you have to go messing around to find and delete them. Rotation often also does whatever the heck it likes. That’s fun.

Here’s hoping that the Duo 3 offers something special. It would need a really good camera!

Next best device that I’m looking at? Vivo X Fold.

2 Likes

Looks like a lower-cost palycarbonate Surface Duo was in the works. Sounds pretty awesome tbh, minues the midrange SoC. Shame it didn’t get released.

2 Likes

I’m annoyed that it’s pretty much only mid-range or lower end devices, launched or cancelled, that use plastic. The more electronics have become like jewelry, the less practical they have become.

As for Microsoft themselves, this is what, at least the fourth project we know has been cancelled that they could easily have funded. This, Surface Mini, Microsoft Band, and Courier.

1 Like

And the Surface Neo, and Windows Phone. Coincidentally just fired up the Lumia 950XL, it still recognized me. :face_holding_back_tears:

1 Like

I’m still bitter about the Windows Phone devices. It was a great OS, but so was Symbian and Maemo/Meego. And Microsoft destroyed Nokia in the consumer space with their mole.

Both companies that don’t really care about us but for our money, etc. but I did like Nokia more. And that was at a point when Microsoft were still transitioning from being a really nasty company to just a somewhat nasty one.

1 Like

Totally. They were so freaking close to being a stable third player. In some European countries they had over 40% marketshare. Keep the damned things out there, keep growing that App catalog, keep the phone prices low, watch the Android security and privacy issues push people to other platforms. Oh, and keep plugging away at Windows Maps, and don’t make Skype such a clusterf*** so that we have navigation and chat options in the absence of Google Maps, Waze, and WhatsApp. Did I mention I was still bitter? (breathe JoeS, breathe…)

3 Likes

Well, that was largely because they snuck in and took over Nokia. I remember only one HTC Windows Phone model being somewhat popular and the rest were all Nokias.

Sounds about right. Microsoft’s own (?) first (?) Lumias were great though. Seven years later the iPhone is just now on the verge of doing everything that my 950XL did. Widgets, Face (iris) recognition, tap to wake, glance screen (always on display, coming in iOS16 if I read that correctly), Lumia-quality camera (iPhones matched that maybe starting at the iPhone 11 Pro or so), dual SIM. All of these have slowly been added to the iPhone, with the always-on display being the last missing thing I believe. Well… I’d like those cool see-through tiles from WinPho, but I’ll learn to live without em.

Anyway, I’m doing that TPCR off-topic thing again. :slight_smile: :roller_coaster:

2 Likes

Well, it’s not like there’s anything else to talk about regarding the Duo.

1 Like

Aside from the possibly worse camera system I would have preferred that too. Plastic body for lower costs, upper midrange SD cpu is better bang for buck than SD 8xx series while still fast nowadays and glance is a nice idea but still seems a bit gimmicky (maybe on Duo 3 it will be mature enough).

The body reminds me of Lumia 950 series which was nice to hold as well.

3 Likes

Kind of stinks they didn’t release it. I always felt the high price point (and lack of any advertising) made it a hard sell, but I genuinely feel if more people used it they would love it. Going from Duo 1 to Duo 2, while the lack of glitches and far greater stability make the Duo 2 overall the better, I sort of miss the Rubber bumper the Duo 1 had. Duo 2 I have the Pen case which helps, but overall in hand holding the Duo 2 is far less comfortable from Duo 1. (Camera bump doesn’t help) The Pen case is I think some sort of plastic and easier to grasp then the gorilla glass, so and all plastic Duo 2 Go might have hit the sweet spot.

2 Likes

One theory is that they will release a cheaper plastic Duo (Duo Go) but after the Duo 3 is launched, so the MS team can focus on Duo 3 launch (maybe they can prevent a buggy launch this time).

1 Like

Not even Apple is capable of that anymore.

For me, it wouldn’t be a main device, so it has to be relatively cheap.

I’d certainly be interested in a cheaper version as a tablet, even alongside a Fold.

lol…I will warn you, many of us (myself included) plunked down the $409 DUO 1 to use for “Secondary” purposes. Can’t speak for everyone but it quickly became my daily driver, even despite all its shortcomings.

2 Likes

Not a chance while I remain in Japan with all their carrier tomfoolery.

1 Like