Surface Duo Thoughts: One for the Fans
So, I’ve been tinkering with the Surface Duo in my downtime for the last few days in between work and all the new Apple software and to me at least, this thing feels like a taste of the future. Mind you, I have not make it my primary device, I’ve been using it mainly as a tablet at work while keeping my SIM card in my iPhone (Namely because this is just a loaner Duo until my boss claims it next week), but as a mini-tablet that you can fold and put into your pocket its a very compelling device. Its an OK phone because for me, the camera is a real deal-breaker. Its like going back to an iPhone 6S or Samsung Galaxy S7 in terms of quality and the low-light performance is miserable. So, at this time I cannot recommend any normal person buy one as their smartphone unless you’re okay walking around with a mirrorless camera with you when you want to take photos, but honestly, for those even interested in a $1,300 hybrid phone/tablet they are a self-selecting lot so it may not be a deal-breaker for you. I value having a high quality camera in my pocket because I’m a shutterbug so that really just breaks the entire thing for me. Also, the software is really buggy at this time, but I imagine that Microsoft will be able to remedy this by updating their Microsoft Launcher. Again, its like you are paying to play with the future of Surface Phone today.
For what it does though, its really nice. If you enjoy using Microsoft365 and Windows 10 with a smattering of Google apps and services then you will greatly enjoy this Surface (I’m calling it that since I’ve only played with it as a Surface, not a phone). Because it uses the Microsoft Launcher, it has some nice Office365 integration with being able to easily see your Outlook calendar, draw on sticky notes, see your OneDrive files, get your text messages via Your Phone, etc. Also, the Microsoft apps are all optimized for the dual-screen nature of the device, allowing you to span Outlook or OneNote across both screens. I particularly like rotating the Surface Duo into portrait mode and using it as a pad to taking meeting notes with the Surface Pen (I have the 2nd generation in the office that came with our Office Surfacebook and that works like a charm and its easy to keep in your pocket).
The Google apps are less impressive, often only working on 1x screen most of the time. Some apps like Gmail of Calendar will span across both screens, but its almost like they were hard-programmed to the dimensions of a Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 and the right screen bleeds over into the left screen…making it look really messy and half-hearted (Maybe Android 11 will fix this? Hopefully?). Google Maps is the outlier though, which gives me some hope. It got updated after the Duo came out and works well across both screens. I hope maybe we get some cross-pollination between Duo and the Fold 2. While the Fold 2 is definitely the future, I think that having two separate screens is going to be a more economical way for Android OEMs to bring this two-screen experience to cheaper phones because very, VERY few people can afford a $2,000 phone (Or want to spend that much on them). When it works though, the Surface Duo feels borderline magic. Its really seamless at times to go from a one-screen experience to spanning an app across both screens and then pulling up two Android apps up side-by-side. THIS is the future I really want and hope that maybe we’ll see a Pixel dual-screen phone soon so that Google has an excuse to really go all-in on this type of software. I can see in a few years Android “tablets” really just being foldable phones that expand out to mini tablets with maybe even 10” tablets unfolding into 13 or 15” laptop experiences. I WANT that future. I love the idea of just having a smartphone and a laptop / tablet hybrid device. Just unfold your pocket computer into a pocket book-like device for reading, multitasking, or new experiences I haven’t even thought about yet.
So yeah, the Duo is a buggy mess with a lousy camera right now, but the hardware is wonderful and getting to play with the future is really a delight. If you’re a big Microsoft fan, meaning somebody who uses Teams at work, OneNote for notes, prefers Outlook mobile to Gmail, plays Xbox at home, keeps their data in OneDrive, etc. its a top-notch experience for you, especially because the fact that this thing runs Android and effectively eliminates the “App Gap” that we experienced on Windows Phone. Just keep in mind that the software will take a minute to catch up to Microsoft’s ambitious vision for the future. Keep in mind that yes, the camera is a potato and you will want something like a DLSR or Mirrorless camera to capture those precious family moments with kids, pets, gatherings (When we can have those again) and trips, but the camera is FINE if you’re at work and need to scan a document, attend a Teams call, or capture an idea in OneNote and mark it up with a Surface pen. If you’re willing to live with those caveats, then, by all means buy a Surface Duo. Its a phone for Microsoft fans. Those people who love Windows, Microsoft 365, Xbox, and all of that stuff. I’m really looking forward to seeing the hardware and software evolve over the next few years.
-Hobie Henning
