Microsoft's Surface Duo 2 is a double-edged sword. For one thing, it addresses many of the shortcomings associated with its predecessor, such as outdated internal hardware and a mediocre camera system. On the other hand, it is even more expensive than the first-generation model, which was among the most expensive phones on the market when it debuted last year. That device saw a massive price cut just a few months after launch; Could the same thing happen this time too?
The latest from Microsoft has also received a significant update in the camera department. Surface Duo 2 has a triple rear camera system composed of a 27mm 12-megapixel wide-angle camera with f / 1.7 aperture and OIS, a 51mm 12-megapixel telephoto camera with f / 2.4 aperture, 2x optical zoom and OIS and a 16-megapixel 13mm ultra-wide shooter with f / 2.2 aperture and a 110-degree field of view. Meanwhile, the front camera is a 12-megapixel 24mm unit with f / 2.0 aperture and dual-LED flash. There's more power under the hood too, thanks to the inclusion of Qualcomm's Snapdragon 888 5G SoC. The chip comes with 8GB of LPDDR5 memory and your choice of 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB of local storage. There is no SD expansion port, so you'll want to make sure and get a model with enough capacity to meet your needs, especially if you don't agree with the idea of using cloud storage. Other standout amenities include an enterprise-grade secure fingerprint reader, USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 connectivity, stereo speakers, dual-band Wi-Fi 6 wireless connectivity, Bluetooth 5.1, and NFC. The phone uses magnets, and Microsoft advises that you should be careful when using it around objects like credit cards or parking passes that are sensitive to them.
Microsoft didn't mention water resistance, so you probably want to be careful when using the Surface Duo 2 around liquids. Battery life is estimated at up to 15.5 hours of local video playback, or up to 28 hours of talk time, with the dual 4449 mAh battery. It also supports fast charging with the Surface 23W USB-C power supply, but Microsoft did not say how fast it can be recharged. Surface Duo 2 is offered in black or white color schemes and is backed by a one-year warranty. It's available to pre-order in select markets starting today, starting at $ 1,499.99 with 128GB of RAM and climbing to $ 1,799.99 for the 512GB model. Look for its release on October 20, 2021.
