What would make me buy a Surface Duo 2

Source: Daniel Rubino / Windows Key

The Surface Duo is an intriguing slice of tech. Considered the spiritual successor to Microsoft's mythical Courier device of yesteryear, the Duo brings the best of Surface'southward technology prowess to the Android ecosystem, bolstered by millions of apps Windows Phone simply could never obtain. The Surface Duo is admirable, exciting, and compelling... until you read the fine print, at least.

For me, the Surface Duo just isn't a device I could ever see buying. A long-fourth dimension user of the Samsung Galaxy Android lineup, there are certain things I absolutely cannot encounter myself compromising on, despite the allure of dual-screen hinged productivity. To that cease, the next Galaxy Fold looks like it could exist my futurity phone. But what could Microsoft do to sweeten the deal, for me?

Once again, these are just things that I want to run into personally in the side by side Duo device, and not necessarily a criticism that goes broader than that. What would you similar to see in a future Surface Duo? Hit the comments and let'due south chat. Either way, here are the things I consider an absolute must for personal productivity, entertainment, and value for money.

A more passable photographic camera and mic

Source: Daniel Rubino / Windows Primal

One of the about disappointing things about the Surface Duo is the quality of the basic functions of a smartphone. The camera samples in our Surface Duo review fall well below even the cheapest modern Galaxy devices, and given that the Surface Duo costs £1350 in the UK ($1876 USD), some of this stuff but isn't adequate.

Whenever my lovely colleague Zac Bowden joins a Slack phone call on his Duo, it sounds like he's communicating from beneath the ocean, with engineering science that might exist more at home on a WW2 submarine than a 2022 cutting-edge mobile device. The battery life likewise varies depending on how much dual-screen time you get, as you might expect. But if yous're thinking "oh, I better non use the dual-screen too much or I'll drain my battery," information technology kind of defeats the point. With my Milky way Note 20 Ultra, I basically never have to remember about battery life, even if I'm out all mean solar day. Admittedly, I exercise nudge downwardly the refresh rate and resolution to accommodate the battery, simply beyond that, I'k never actually thinking about burning it out.

I realize that things like battery life, mic quality, and photographic camera capability are huge blueprint challenges for a device like this. The fact that Microsoft and the Surface squad were able to even arroyo this level of blueprint while maintaining the slimness of the device is truly admirable. Admirable isn't enough though, when information technology comes to spending $1876 dollars on a phone, though. If information technology'due south not good enough to replace my far-cheaper Note 20 Ultra fifty-fifty on the basics, information technology's a difficult proposition to make.

Customizable OS shell, with accent colors

Source: Daniel Rubino / Windows Central

One other aspect of Android that I savour over iOS is the corporeality of customization you lot can become. Whether it's custom launchers, widgets, or other types of app integrations, Android is a far more than "open" platform than iOS, which gives users a huge degree of command over their overall experience. That'due south why it's a bit annoying Microsoft hasn't washed more in this space.

Bugs and usability issues withal, the Surface Duo'south Android version, once more, feels lacking compared to the I UI from Samsung, or the Oxygen OS from OnePlus. You're stuck with basic blue for an accent color, which leads to an inconsistent experience with Windows and the Microsoft Launcher itself, which has a variety of colour options to choose from.

I use the Microsoft Launcher on my Galaxy Notation xx and admire it. I love the make clean interface, the OneDrive cloud backups, the Calendar view panel, and the fact I tin can line up the Microsoft Launcher accent colors with a custom theme from Samsung's Milky way theme shop. I don't think Microsoft needs to go as far equally Samsung, allowing y'all to fully customize the trounce with your own graphics and fonts and whatnot, but at the very least, some accent colors that match the Microsoft Launcher should exist fairly unproblematic. Microsoft even disabled the born Android accent colors y'all tin can unlock via the programmer tools. Why?

A smaller, dockable stylus, with slimmer bezels

Source: Daniel Rubino / Windows Central

Although I haven't used it a whole lot in the pandemic, one thing I frequently do with my Galaxy Note devices is hand-written notes. During visits to game developers and during meetings, taking notes with a stylus, scribbling quick diagrams and schemas often feels more than ergonomic than trying to tap or swipe a modest software keyboard. And sure, with the pandemic, I don't do information technology nearly as oftentimes as I used to. One has to promise that this whole thing will somewhen come to an finish, in some shape or form.

The Surface Duo does support the Surface Pen, to some caste. It magnetizes to the dorsum, as a byproduct of the magnets used for irresolute the folding routine on the device. Only a defended housing, similar to the S-Pen on the Galaxy Note, would apparently be preferable.

The broader canvas you get with the Surface Duo makes information technology an heady potential tool for inking and notetaking, owing to a larger screen space for organizing content. Cartoon on a Galaxy Note 20 is a pain, and frankly, even regular notetaking is, due to the dumb rounded edges that are frankly incongruous to the experience. I'd love to see a Surface Duo with slimmer bezels besides since it makes it seem like a lot of that display space is wasted the manner it is right now.

In any example, I'd love to see Microsoft double down on the inking aspects of this device since I don't think they're communicated likewise well in the marketing proposition thus far.

A sense of commitment

Source: Windows Central

I capeesh the enormity of the technology challenge I'm presenting here. But ultimately, this is the price Microsoft pays for wanting to make a smartphone with a twist — and it is a phone. I disagree wholeheartedly with Microsoft's attempts to avoid calling the Surface Duo a telephone, purely to avoid the connexion to Windows Phone's failure. If a device has telephony, a sim bill of fare slot, has apps, and makes calls and so it'southward a smartphone.

I want to want a Surface Duo.

The avoidance and stigma around Windows Telephone is not something many Microsoft fans will soon forget. I realize that hereafter Surface Duo versions will swivel (heh, hinge) on the response of the wider market. As a former Surface fan, I similar the idea of a globe where the Surface Duo can find a niche for itself in an Android earth utterly dominated by Samsung and a few others. I realize that my reluctance to purchase could hurt the chances of getting a future Surface Duo, but information technology's not actually my responsibleness to invest in a product that I don't experience represents value for money, based on enjoyment of the brand in general. Microsoft was tardily to the game and is paying for information technology.

Yet, there are positive signs that Microsoft could be truly committed to the Duo, and that it isn't going to suffer the same fate as products like the Microsoft Band. Microsoft recently enlisted the talents of Ari Partinen, famed for contributing to the industry-leading Lumia cameras of yesteryear. Microsoft as well grabbed Nuance, who built the vocal recognition systems constitute in the iPhone, also. Xbox Game Pass also at present expands its touch on controls to the bottom display on a Surface Duo, a feature that is wholly unique to the Duo.

I want to want a Surface Duo, simply Microsoft's inconsistent commitment to consumer tech and "fun" has me scratching my head sometimes. Are they really serious about this? I suppose time will tell.

What would you lot like to see in a Surface Duo 2 or 3? Striking the comments, let's chat.

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