Microsoft Announces Surface Duo 2, A Foldable Phone Loaded With New Features

Microsoft has continued to iterate upon their product releases in an attempt to develop the best Android folding phone. With the new announcement of the Surface Duo 2, it’s clear that the company heard and took into consideration the feedback of the community. This new device retains the head-turning design of the first-generation model, but it specifically addresses many of the complaints people had.

Starting with a next-level camera and jumping into the 5G connectivity, the Surface Duo 2 keeps using a current processor, but with a bigger screen. According to Microsoft, the Duo 2 will be available starting on October 21st for $1,499.99.

Surface Duo 2

The Surface Duo 2 will offer two 5.8-inch, 1344 x 1892 OLED displays connected by a hinge. As foldable phones should be, this will allow users to open the phone like a book. Users can also benefit from the two Duo 2 displays combined, which will measure 8.3 inches diagonally and both of them feature a faster 90Hz refresh rate. Corning glass will be providing safety to these impressive displays.

Powerful Hardware + a High-Quality Camera

Inside one half of the device is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor that also supports 5G connectivity. Microsoft says it’s the thinnest 5G device on the market. Paired with the processor is 8GB of RAM and either 128GB and 512GB of storage, depending on the model you choose. After taking people’s comments into consideration, Microsoft added NFC – though worth noting that they still missed wireless charging.

Surface Duo 2
Screenshot by Grayson Blackmon / The Verge

The Surface Duo 2 also has a triple rear camera system, which is a huge upgrade since the original Surface Duo only had a single camera. It is located on the back side of the Duo 2, with a standard wide, ultrawide, and telephoto camera system. All three cameras have a 12-megapixel resolution, with the wide and telephoto lens also featuring optical image stabilization.

On top of all of this, the device supports Surface pens and is able to charge them magnetically. The Duo 2 will be running Android 11 at launch.