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Microsoft foldable efforts aren't dead, flip phone could be next
A flip phone could be in the works with a novel 360-degree hinge
Foldables bring a breath of fresh air to stagnated innovation in smartphone design. Samsung and Motorola have so far been leading the pack with their excellent range of foldable handsets, but a lot of other companies are either planning to or have already jumped on the bandwagon. Even after a couple of ineffectual attempts in the past, it looks like Microsoft still wants to make foldable phones, but with a new design direction — one that resembles the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5.
Take a look at the mid-range plastic Surface Duo Microsoft deprived us of
The device was reportedly shelved in late 2021
Microsoft released its first-gen Surface Duo in 2020, marking the Redmond-based tech giant's first attempt at an Android phone. Although its dual display design was unique, a slightly outdated Snapdragon flagship chip, absolutely horrible software support, and a steep price tag kept it from achieving success in the market. Microsoft attempted to fix some of those issues with the Surface Duo 2 last year, but one big problem remained: the price. A new leak reveals the company's first attempt at making a mid-range foldable, but as it stands, it's unlikely ever to see the light of day.
Microsoft Andromeda OS hands-on teases a mirror universe Surface Duo without Android
And to think the Surface Duo could be running this instead of Android 10 in 2022
The Surface Duo from Microsoft was the first time the company delved its toes into Android, after being a fierce competitor for years through Windows Phone (and later Windows 10 Mobile). But it wasn't going to be this way at first. Initially, the Surface Duo was going to run a new operating system developed in-house by Microsoft (and presumably, if it saw the light, launched under the Windows branding). Andromeda OS never came to be, but thanks to new images and a video, we now know a little more about how it would've looked like, and functioned, should it have launched.
Microsoft says Android 11 will finally arrive for the original Surface Duo in the 'next few weeks'
Don't do that, don't give me hope
The Surface Duo was an exciting device when it came out, even with its quirks. Still, as thrilled as we were to see Microsoft launch its first Android smartphone (and in a unique form factor, nonetheless), buyers quickly realized that the phone had abysmal software support. The has been waiting the better part of forever to receive an update to Android 11, even with Android 12 being out and coming to more phones every day, 12L in the beta-testing stage, and 13 already in development. As if that's not frustrating enough, its successor, the Surface Duo 2, already has Android 11. The situation got so bad, it earned a spot in our "biggest tech fails of 2021" list. The phone's update still isn't here just yet, but according to Microsoft, you're not going to have to wait that much longer.
With the end of the year fast approaching, it's always a fun exercise to look back at the best and worst of the last twelve months. We're not about to say 2021 was a "good" year by any particular metric (have you opened a newspaper lately?), but plenty of fun things happened — especially in our tech-centric corner of the world. Too bad this particular article isn't about any of those things. Here are some of the biggest tech fails of 2021.
Microsoft commits to an Android 11 update for the original Surface Duo this year
Alright, if y'all say so
The Surface Duo is a contentious little gadget, with a lot of cool hardware and a lot of glaring issues. One of them is slow software updates. Despite it being Microsoft's only mobile product, and an expensive one at that, it's still running the year-old Android 10. A day after announcing the sequel device, Microsoft says it'll have the original Duo upgraded to Android 11 before the end of this year.
Microsoft Surface Duo 2 stops by the FCC before its debut later this week
This time the phone is more of, you know, a phone
Microsoft has a press event scheduled for this Wednesday, September 22nd. The Surface Duo 2 is expected to attend, among other less mobile Surface-branded hardware. In apparent preparation for a rapid release, the successor to the unique dual-screen folding phone stopped by the Federal Communications Commission for the usual round of testing and certification.
With Android 12 around the corner, the year-old Microsoft Surface Duo is still on Android 10
Does Microsoft even care?
Just over a year ago, Microsoft launched the Surface Duo, its first Android phone. In some ways, the Duo was one of the most ambitious Android phones in the world with its unique dual-screen design. On the other hand, it was lacking some key features you'd expect from a $1,400 phone, like NFC, the latest ARM SoC, and a big battery. It also launched with Android 10 in the immediate aftermath of Android 11's release. Surely, that would just be a temporary issue, right? Well, here we are a year later, and the phone is still on Android 10.
Microsoft's follow-up to the Surface Duo seems to forget the one thing we actually liked about the first
What good is a thin chassis when the camera bump is so massive?
Microsoft's first-generation Surface Duo is — to be blunt — not a particularly good phone. It also, presumably, hasn't sold well in its first year on the market, dropping as low as $1,000 off its initial MSRP just a few weeks ago. And despite a promised Android 11 update that is still MIA, it seems as though Microsoft isn't ready to throw in the towel on its foldable phone series just yet.
Get a Microsoft Surface Duo for less than the price of a Pixel 4a 5G
Starting at just $409.99 on Woot, but there's a catch: It's carrier locked
The Surface Duo is the first phone Microsoft launched with Android, and despite loads of hype and a novel form factor, it was never much more than an interesting outlier in the phone market. But once you reduce the outrageously high asking price of $1,399, the equation might change for some who have always wanted to pick up one of these historic devices. And after a cascade of price drops, we've reached a new low: The AT&T carrier-locked Surface Duo starts at just 9.99 on Woot today.
Is $550 cheap enough for you to finally pick up Microsoft's Surface Duo?
Give it a chance, what do you have to lose?
Microsoft's Surface Duo failed to ignite sales charts when it launched last fall, and it wasn't much of a splash with critics either. Since then, we've seen the Duo's price drop time and time again. But we get it. Some of you are holding out just to see how far it can fall before picking up one of the most unique handhelds on the market today. Your patience continues to pay off — Woot has the Duo on sale today for $550.
There might finally be a reason to buy a Surface Duo — if you’re big into Xbox cloud gaming
An update to the Xbox Game Pass app gives its lower screen dedicated touch controls
Admit it, Nintendo fans: when Microsoft revealed its first official Android-powered smartphone, all you saw was a $1400 Nintendo DS Pro. With its newfound focus on streaming games in the Xbox Game Pass, Microsoft is reevaluating how it approaches them on the Surface Duo. With the latest version of the Android app, controls on the Duo can be entirely assigned to one screen in your hand, leaving the second screen free for gameplay.
As folding phones gained momentum last year, Microsoft released its own take. The Duo is not a good phone for a number of reasons: it's big and awkward, it's got an unusual form factor that's not particularly well supported, and its camera is bad. But it sure is unique, and today, you can grab one for 0 on Woot — the lowest price for it we've seen so far.
Own a piece of smartphone history by picking up a Microsoft Surface Duo for just $700
And get some free true wireless earbuds from LG along with it
Microsoft's Surface Duo probably shouldn't be your daily driver, but it's destined to go down in history as one of the weirdest Android devices ever released. The launch price of $1,400 was certainly steep, but if you've been waiting to scoop up Microsoft's foldable for your collection, BuyDig has it on sale for just $700.
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Microsoft released its first Android phone back in 2020, the Surface Duo. It's the only modern Android device with two side-by-side displays (not counting the add-on cases for various LG phone), and even though it's still a questionable buy at its new 9 retail price, Microsoft plans to sell it in more regions this year, starting with Canada, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany on February 18.
Microsoft's oddball Surface Duo can now be yours for $1,000 at Amazon ($400 off)
Think of it as $500 for each display
Sitting on the cutting edge of novelty gets real expensive, real fast. Take the Surface Duo — software from Google, hardware and some integrations from Microsoft. It's a remarkable dual-display device, but costs too much and, furthermore, is difficult to finance. But if you're able to plop a chunk of change down for it, the Duo is available on Amazon for $400 off right now.The Duo runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, measures exceptionally thin at 4.8mm per pane (though it's more substantial when folded closed), and handles Android pretty cleanly minus a few dual-display adaptations which make it work better. If you value uniqueness and the fun and challenges that come with it, this is the device for you. More details are in our long-term review.
Microsoft's first Android phone is the Surface Duo, a dual-screen device released last month. It was an extremely tough sell for anyone but the most die-hard Surface fans, but now it has dropped to a slightly-better price of $1,199.99, a $200 discount from the original MSRP.
Microsoft Surface Duo review, one month later: Enthusiastically an enthusiast's phone
A hybrid of Google and Microsoft's visions for smartphones
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Over the past few years, smartphones have stopped evolving at a rapid pace and settled into iterative, yawn-inducing update cycles. Just like how a desktop PC from eight years ago can still handle basic productivity tasks in 2020, a flagship smartphone from two or three years ago isn't radically different from what you can buy today, and there’s only so much room for innovation in the flat glass slab form factor. This has sent some manufacturers to go back to the drawing board in search of something more radical and exciting. Samsung has released several foldable phones, LG is developing a dual-screen device, and now Microsoft has the Surface Duo.The Surface Duo is the first Android device with two integrated displays since the Kyocera Echo and Sony Tablet P, but it's more than just a side project by an existing Android phone maker. It's Microsoft's first Android device ever, and it's the company's first smartphone since the implosion of Windows 10 Mobile.This is a unique product, and while it (mostly) succeeds at its goal of being a mobile productivity station, it's still ultimately a first-generation device. There are bugs, some features are missing, and most people should wait for the Duo 2.
This is what Microsoft needs to change for the Surface Duo 2
Like most first-generation products, there's a lot of room for improvement
The Surface Duo is Microsoft's first smartphone since the collapse of Windows Mobile, and it's no ordinary phone either. The dual-screen form factor is designed to improve productivity, but it also introduced some software problems that Microsoft hasn't entirely solved. The hardware was also a common point of criticism, as there are more than a few missing features compared to other premium Android devices.
The Surface Duo bends but doesn't break in JerryRigEverything's durability test
Turn Microsoft's Surface Duo into the world's first curved screen foldable
We got our hands on Microsoft's Surface Duo last month, but we weren't allowed to give it the ol' bend test. Now that the device has been released into the wild, YouTuber Zack JerryRigEverything Nelson tried it out in one of his infamous durability videos — and the results are a little surprising.