The Microsoft Surface Duo hits shelves this month, marking the company's long awaited return to the smartphone market. The $1,399 Duo is a foldable phone a category which also includes Samsung's $1,999 Galaxy Z Fold2 and Motorola's $1,399 Razr 5G. Where those devices feature a single, ultra-thin bendable screen, the Duo instead has two screens connected by a hinge mechanism.
Microsoft chief product officer Panos Panay in an interview with ABC Audio, two screens side by side is what this product is about. There is a learning curve that comes with it. You can see that in the reviews, you can feel it in the conversations.It may take awhile to warm up to the device's new form factor. I don't think you'll end up in a frustration point. It's just a matter of finding all the things you can do with the device takes time.
Digital Trends editor-in-chief Jeremy Kaplan said having two screens allows users to compartmentalize data more easily. What Microsoft's engineers have leaned into is cognitive science. And they've shown that, by separating this thing, by actually having two physical screens, your brain is better able to process information.
But having a dual screen device comes with drawbacks, which have been noted in early reviews of the Duo.
The Duo also garnered attention for its software. Existing Windows phones used Microsoft's internally designed operating system. The Duo uses Google's Android software. Panay said the reason Microsoft opted to borrow another tech giant's software came down to the predominance of Google's apps.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said, Android is so powerful for this product. You know, the millions of apps that you can choose the ones that are most important to you. we felt that there was a real need for someone to come out and innovate on this next inflection point around dual screen devices and we said let's use Android.
Microsoft has said, It makes sense to lean into Android here. We want to be where our customers are, we want to be where people are. And where are people? They're on the Google Play Store. They're using Android phones. I think it's the form factor where phones or phones should be going.
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