Microsoft Surface Duo Smartphone

The company's first dual-screen phone points to a future for mobile technology that is both exciting and disappointing. Even with the biggest wrinkles ironed out by a recent update, using the Duo is still an exercise in frustration.

THE GOOD: 

• Two screens are the future
• The hinge is very sturdy, and the whole package feels wonderfully slim
• The screens get plenty bright outdoors
• Includes a bumper case
• Good battery life
• Likable Microsoft user interface
• App groups are awesome
• Will get monthly software updates

THE BAD: 

• Stuttery performance
• Typing is hard
• The camera is bad
• No exterior screen means you can't see the time without opening it
• Not many apps are optimized for two screens
• Only one speaker on a dual-screen phone
• Not 5G capable
• No wireless charging
• No MicroSD card slot
• Not water resistance
• No contactless payments

The two displays aren't the problem; in fact, they're exemplary. Ever use two computer monitors at the same time? It's hard to go back to a single screen afterward, and the same is true here. But what drains the Duo of its mobile multitasking charm is glitchy software that makes this $1,400 phone feel like a work in progress. And as much as Microsoft doesn't want to call it a phone, that's what the Duo is, and it falls short as one in a few key areas.

The Surface Duo is not the first dual-screen smartphone, but it arrives at a time when companies are experimenting wildly with phone designs. Samsung and Motorola, for example, sell devices with folding screens in distinct shapes and sizes. But rather than falling in line with this new (and delicate) folding glass technology, Microsoft is betting big on the two-screen approach, which it hopes will be a boon for productivity. It's even planning a two-screen Windows laptop for 2021.

What makes the Duo even more special is that it's Microsoft's first stab at Android (and a phone) since its Nokia days. Why not use Windows instead of Google's operating system? Apps. The company's Windows Phone mobile OS was crippled because it didn't attract third-party apps, and Microsoft isn't making the same mistake twice. The Google Play Store has almost every app you could want, including those made by Microsoft. And sure, you can install Microsoft's apps on any other Android phone, but running them on the Duo is unique. Microsoft got something right here: Two screens are better than one.

In its closed state, the Surface Duo looks like a small paper notebook, and a pretty one at that. Unlike a lot of modern tech, it feels warm and inviting, as if opening it will unlock the secrets of the universe. Pick it up and it feels lighter than it looks. Its surprising thinness also makes it easy to hold and tote around (unlike some other dual-screen phones), though it is wide, so it might not fit your pants pocket.

There's much more.
Read the entire article >  wired.com