In development right after the original was released, the Surface Duo 2 is now finally here. And the second-generation Android handset from Microsoft improves in pretty much all needed areas.
Like the original, the Duo 2 features two screens connected by a hinge.
We have a couple of 5.8-inch 1344 x 1892 OLED screens, combining an 8.3-inch display with a 90Hz refresh rate. A slight curve at the edge provides an option to quickly glance at time, missed notifications, and more.
Both the displays are covered with Corning glass for better protection.
Power now comes via the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC that is paired with 8GB of RAM. The processor also adds 5G support to the device. Features like Qi wireless charging and NFC are also included, as are technologies like WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1.
One of the biggest areas of improvement, however, is the camera.
While the original Duo had to make do with a single camera, the new Surface Duo 2 features a triple-camera setup that includes a 16MP f/2.2 ultrawide camera, a 12MP f/1.7 wide camera with OIS, and a 12MP f/2.4 telephoto camera that packs in support for OIS.
Like other Surface devices, the Surface Duo 2 supports Surface Slim S Pens. Microsoft has added an option to stick the S Pen to the side of the device for easy storage when it is not in use.
The battery is now bigger, with the newer model delivering 4,449mAh of juice instead of 3,577mAh, thanks to system optimizations.
Android 11 is installed out of the box, and an update to Android 12 is expected to be released sometime next year.
The Surface Duo 2 is available for preorder today in select markets, with the cheapest version of the handset coming in with a price tag of $1,499.
