Microsoft Surface Duo
SCORE
PRICE 128GB, $1,399 (US only) from microsoft.com
Folding tablets – or are they expanding smartphones? – are a 2020 phenomena. Some manufacturers achieve the near miracle of bending the screen itself; others are looking at the seemingly easier task of connecting two screens with a hinge.
The Surface Duo is an example of the latter approach, trading off the complexity of bending an OLED panel for an intriguing design that actively promotes dual-screen operation.
The intrigue doesn’t stop with the hinge and screen. This is a Microsoft device running a Microsoft-badged version of Android 10. The mere concept of which is enough to make your head spin.
But here it is, and applause all round because this is the pragmatic solution to a perennial problem: Microsoft gains a gigantic app base, customers understand what they’re using, and Microsoft can help steer the design of two-screen support on Android.
Its efforts are already visible here, with Microsoft adding its own tweaks and user interface controls with the aim of making life easier for us humble users. This, as we shall see, is both a blessing and a curse.
In case you’re already reaching for your credit card, the Duo isn’t for sale in Europe. It’s US-only. I managed to buy this one using the help of a friend in Seattle to handle the order and shipping. It isn’t clear when, or even if, the Duo will come to Europe.
