Microsoft Surface Duo review: An exciting, expensive, erratic affair
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- Опубликовано: 22 окт 2024
- Microsoft's Surface Duo is the first phone we've seen from the company in a while, and it's a strange device. Sleek and stylish, the Surface Duo looks like nothing so much as two phones stuck together, folding with a visible hinge down the middle, and that's essentially how it feels. The seam makes the Duo questionable as a tablet - most apps that span both screens don't format properly or have gaps - but the Duo makes using two apps at once a breeze. Tasks like emailing while updating your calendar, watching video while scrolling twitter, or making a video call while taking notes make you wonder how you ever managed with a single screen.
And then the software glitches out and makes you wonder what's even the point. Unfortunately, the Duo is still pretty buggy, and needs a lot of work to fulfill it's dual-screen promise, but it's a look at a foldable phone that doesn't just feel like a gimmick.
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9:37 Cannot BELIEVE I missed the chance to demo Solitaire in the weird reverse-flex mode. Great review bud!
Are you and Cherlynn trolling everybody with the earpiece-out phone call footage?!
Was Solitaire shown in this video? I must have missed half of it 🤭
Thanks friend! - Cherlynn
@rrobertt13 soft spam
@rrobertt13 Yeah, I see him everywhere.
The Duo really wasn't designed for camera users. This is more for the productivity/corporate audience. I like where they are headed with this, but I think I'll wait for the next iteration or the third one.
Thats no excuse for a 1600 phone. The HP Elite X3 had a better camera, the 950xl had a better camera and that was 4 years ago. Also the speaker is horrid as well.
I've been waiting for this. I love that there are more unique ideas for phones coming up after all these years. I hope people can keep innovating so new phones can stop being so boring.
I appreciate this comment. Phones nowadays are just slabs with screens and nothing more. Nokia used to be the master of innovative designs in smartphones. The N series, the communicator, name it. They had everything for everyone across the board. Then Nokia died. Galaxy fold 2 is the better phone if we compare both devices, but we should appreciate what Microsoft has brought to the table here. Now we can say we have more options to choose from.
@@lcsighteken2248 I apprichate you apprichateing this comment
I hope "reviewers" realize that this device is geared towards professionals with productivity in mind, not those who seek life validation via the number of shares, likes, comments, retweets they receive. This device is not designed for content creators.. Hail the Blackberry generation!!! :)
The SurfaceDuo is difficult to handle, therefore you are less productive
@@edwardnelson3413 typical excuse for something half baked "it's for a different demographic"
I think of it as a productivity device. When using my iPhone I almost always use earphones or wireless earbuds. I typically use Edge for browsing, open up Excel for reference info, To-Do to check tasks, Outlook for email, and checking the built-in calendar. Other than that RUclips is used for researching filmmaking topics and tutorials. It has been a couple years since I've played a game on my phone so that isn't a consideration. I take very few pictures but from the looks of what I saw the pictures are satisfactory.
I live inside OneNote, Teams, Outlook, OneDrive... So I ordered my Duo, can't wait (don't care about cameras etc.)
I love it that Google Ads shows me a ad for the Galaxy Fold while watching the review for the Surface Duo.
Watching this on my surface duo :)
Do you still have it ?
@@billtoymus7315 yes I do. It's my daily phone typing on it right 😊
This is by far the kindest review of the Microsoft Duo that I've seen so far. All of the other reviewers have reiterated multiple times that the phone is not worth buying in its first version and their videos go over all of the reasons why.
Personally, I prefer your video, it gives the perspective of someone who could actually enjoy the phone and feel happy with their purchase.
I can't imagine ANYONE happy with this.
If it was $600 or under, maybe, even then it's trash compared to everything else.
Mine is on the FedEx truck, can't wait!
Mine too
Mine too.. Can't wait.. Finally a device for the former Blackberry generation
I think you'll DEFINITELY want to send it back.
It's GARBAGE.
Totally wasted potential.
DanRC So negative and impatient.
@@DanRC69 You are so right. I received mine and really tried to like it, but it was so buggy I just couldn't deal with it. For $1500 they shouldn't release it until they dealt with this issue. I returned it in the mail today. Glad I pre-ordered the z fold2, I really like my first fold but wanted to try the duo because it was different.
Reviewers seem to now have become so accustomed to boring presentations from Apple with nothing really new, that once a creative/brilliant device like the Duo hits the market, they call it "strange."
I played with the surface Duo at Best Buy and even uploaded a couple of videos.... I knew it wasn't perfect but the hour that I did spend with it made me want to buy it still..... Something about it is just way better than every other phone. Can't wait for my birthday November 25th to buy it it'll probably be cheaper by then.
I'm a little baked, but hear me out.. aren't you supposed to change orientation when you span apps that don't have span enabled yet? Like flip it sideways? I think I saw this in a demo
I can't handle those bezels. Is like a couple 2014 phones glued together. I will be waiting for the second generation hoping they solve this
I read that without the bezels your thumbs would interact with the screen. a candybar phone can be held in one hand where this one in one hand requires a thumbhold space on the front.
You guys feeling that “Emotional connection” like Panos claimed? 😂
I can't stop crying while using this. It's everything I've ever wanted in life.
@@bryanmanx lol
Mostly loving mine so far. It'll take some getting used to, and there are some glitches, but it's a _very_ cool device.
initially it was a little awkward. the odd dimensions had me goofy typing and normal little functions like closing an app were odd. As usual with a new device I had to hop back and forth with my samsung to get old data or settings. this morning I had to do one last round of looking for something on the samsung and already within a day the samsung felt funny like a narrow view or missing arm. I think once you have a dual screen you may never be able to go back. also I hope they do not listen to people and shrink the bezel on the bottom. 90% of the time I find that I am holding this thing with my thumb right there if it were touch screen area it would be a mess.
Yeah....it’s called Rage LOL. God that thing is so buggy and janky. I learned a long time ago NEVER ....EVER.....buy a first generation Microsoft product.
Summary of most reviews I've seen: interesting idea, but software needs to improve.
The best thing about this phone is being able to prop it up and watch videos without needing a stand. Worth the $1400 just for that....ok maybe not
This is the first review of a phone that is 93mm wide that engadget didnt complain.
i still like the LG dual screen solution best, its configurable. theres also a headphone jack and a good sounding amp circuit.
My duo just crashed and booted to the recovery screen saying data may be lost. Retry or factory reset.
Great review this is one of the only reviews I have seen where you don't go on calling it a phone throughout the review. You are the only I have seen that talks about the software updates.
I am still on the fence over the duo but I have a p40 pro and love it. I am also in the UK and the device is not listed here any time soon.
Think I will wait for the 2nd gen duo but it looks to be off to a goodish start.
calling this the equivalent of two phones taped together is like saying two laptops side by side is the same as dual screens on a pc. it ignores all the interactions between the two screens.
can you play battleships in tent mode?
Love the phone, had it for about a week now. Zero complaints! Great review
You still have it ?
@@billtoymus7315 yup still have it. Great gadget minus the camera!
You can double tap the power button and it’ll turn on the camera if you set it up. Though!
How about making the Duo 2 thicker to accommodate better camera tech and position both front and rear facing cameras on either or both near the center left or center right sides of the tablet? (It would not be ideal for portrait but still relatively centered of the tablet when conferencing)
So when in tablet mode the camera will be at the top when laying the tablet in landscape/laptop and when folding the Surface Duo into a smart phone the other camera is positioned at the top left or top right.
In order to this means Duo 2 will need a smart phone screen on the other side of the device and the device can only fold one direction.
I think this was a great review. I use the Microsoft ecosystem all day everyday. I have a Note 10+ and I wish I could use two apps at the same time. Sometimes I don't want to open up my computer, but I have Teams meetings all day, then OneNote, then get an email that I need to reference in the call. It is costly, however time wasted is also costly. And if I can get things done while not sitting in front of a screen, that is worth it for me.
Love ur reviews 😊
My favorite review so far
Please take note! I plugged my brand new surface duo into my old oneplus charger and killed the duo I think. It got a little warm, turned off and never turned back on. There was no warning from the phone or any paperwork I saw. I contacted Microsoft and they are replacing it for me but it will take time. Please aware of this!
LoL - that’s lame - sorry tough for the inconvenience
I just want people to stop comparing it to a phone 600 dollars more. It's not a folding tablet, it's like two phones.
What about that pen? I didn't saw anyone talking about it... With the 2 screens and a pressure sensible pen it can be the best pocketble notetaking device for college
Surface pen works on it, but you have to buy it separately
You don't need to swipe up and hold if you want to switch screen. You can just swipe up and immediately drag to the other screen.
Apparently Bluetooth is extremely buggy on this device there are simply too many compromises for the price. Hopefully Microsoft will continue and offer a much more efficient device with s series 2, if they build one.
Ive had no problem with Bluetooth
Call me old-fashioned, but non-folding rectangles are fine.
Looking forward to receiving my Duo, I just hope Microsoft can update the Software problems, 👍
The SurfaceDuo is difficult to handle, therefore you are less productive
What could update the camera?
@@hassanger8128 Software, just look at what the sensor on the Google Pixel can do.
Didn't the Surface Pro X have a Qualcomm processor and LTE? I don't get why they didn't just make a "pocket-able" version of that, with Windows 10 and all. I don't really understand the point of this product.
I understand...But it is so weird that five seconds of messing around to get a cellphone camera to launch and work is deemed unacceptable. Remember when we used to have...separate cameras for situations? And we had to...manually focus? I do. Wild.
Blackpink in your area! Surface duo is the revolution. (Tries to dance like Rosé)
😂
Stream Ice Cream
I've been wondering why a foldable phone has to have one screen. The Duo is a much better solution, though, the 2 screens could be closer, so to appear as one
How come almost no one compares it to the year old and much more baked LG dual screen case?
because that failed day one
@@jokergallagherTV no it didn't for niche it's useful to...
Duo is just a bigger same concept and still buggy.
I want it to succeed but the price is too damn high...
@@eskanderx1027 i want LG to succeed too. im just saying, that device was crap and slow
UGH. I want to love this so much but it's missing features I want like an ultra-wide camera... Hoping like hell the 2nd gen improves on this idea because I love this form factor.
The SurfaceDuo is difficult to handle, therefore you are less productive
I bought the duo and I love it.
Couldn't the camera just always launch in regular mode and then you push the onscreen button for selfie like on every other camera, or say, hey google, take a selfie? Seems MS is trying to fix a problem that doesn't exist. Kudos if they can get it right with a gesture though. Maybe a wrist flick like Motorola?
Anyone using Windows10 should know how much they can trust Microsoft about software updates lol
Buggy Software, that's the typical feature from Microsoft. :)
That's a industry problem
@@jokergallagherTV Nope, DEFINITELY a Microsoft problem.
They messed up BIG TIME with this, rendering it a piece of garbage.
@@DanRC69 lol what ever
It’s running on Android!
@@jdtoledo And?, Microsoft should have moddified it properly for a dual screen usage like others (Samsung, LG) have, there's also serious issues with the hardware, so again, a Microsoft problem.
The camera on the duo is what it is,...if it works great on conference calls,... that's all I can ask for.
Amen... I hope "reviewers" realize that this device is geared towards professionals with productivity in mind, not those who seek life validation via the number of shares, likes, comments, retweets they receive. This device is not designed for content creators.. Hail the Blackberry generation!!! :)
Productivity oriented with z horrible performance and software?
Lol
What about this shitty camera?
Here comes the "it's for professionals" excuse... Sorry to break it to you guys "no it isn't"
Sorry to break it to you, but that's who is buying them. my team is getting them just cus our competition got them for there team. we are literally using them for note-taking in meetings, not even for phones.
Microsoft needs to re-hire their Windows 8 crew... they knew how to make a touchscreen experience
I love my Surface Pro X but this Duo thing - Ick. $1400 for last year's tech and software that does not work. I'll pass
I get it and agree, but the first gen surface was a laughing stock initially, we will see if this both catches on and also if Microsoft can clean up there build of Android
@@bobert4108 Good points
Multitasking issues are not a software issue it most definitely can be attributed to that 2 generation old SoC and 6gb of ram.
How you like that!
Duo looks old tech next to the fold 2
Duo was an interesting phone.
Nice review! But SwiftKey is much better than GBoard, the predictions is better.
Watching all these reviews waiting for Dave2Dees review where he at!?!?!
Ooohhh I'll wait for the surface duo 2. It'll be more refined by then
I would love to have a true 2 in 1 device - smart phone and Tablet.
Windows 11, foldable 12.4+ screen for tablet use (no crease or hinge line) and an outer screen for the phone when folded even if the device it has to be thicker and wider.
If you log in to google drive keyboard took entire bottom screen so instead complaining why dont you turn device 45 degrees. Try if works.
Price less than 1000 usd will make this device attractive...
4:18 swiftkey has thumbnails mode, I have used that on my sony and motorola phones
This is such a good review and truthfully not surprising at all. I really am looking forward to their ability to update the software and their 2.0 version of this. It's so close to being one of the best phones on the market
Never, ever get the first gen of any tech.
Me: looks like the product using Nintendo Ds emulator 🤣
I have a major problem with this view for the fact that just about everything she had a problem with is a Google app problem. Microsoft can't change the app store of apps until Google wants Android to use two screens. Stop lying to people, when you use a another companies store you have to play by their rules.
Didn’t think you’re a Blackpink fan lol
This review is better than your initial review feel like you jumped the gun a Lil bit.
I must be a glutton for punishment. Everyone hates this device. I love mine and I haven't been able to put mine down. There are some bugs as expected. I don't give a crap about the price point as everyone keeps reminding me about. I know how much it cost. The expectations that are out there for new technology is ridiculous.
"Playing hours of Solitaire," omigosh. A lovely young woman like you should not have hours to devote to time-killing. Oh, jeez, I sound like my mother.
MKBHD just brutally destroyed any hope for Microsoft to sell the $1400 DOA Surface Duo. 💯
@@GoogleDoesEvil 😆😂 You sound like you’ve been crying. 🤣🤦♂️
nuyou21 Ironic
@@GoogleDoesEvil 😆😂 Wow! You still feeling all emotional. 🤦♂️🤣
@@tylerwinters2237 😂 What's truly ironic is it's about to tank as bad as Windows Mobiles. 😆💯
@@GoogleDoesEvil
You Microsoft fanboys are pathetic 😆
You've got a new fan Cherlynn! You're an excellent reviewer :)
Love that you used Blackpink vids in your demo/review. Blackpink in your area!
@0:38 But software has always been Microsoft's achilles heel on the 'mobile front'; Windows desktop users : Gulp.
All I've seen is nothing but bad reviews on this phone / tablet..
Someone's getting fired at Microsoft..
Panos lol 😂
I'm just glad they used Android.
Solitaire in 2020... Still? ..... That's a thing? what next? Mine sweep? Not as excited about this phone anymore with Samsung's new foldable, that I can't afford anyways.
Looks like a device from 2013 and microsoft seems unable to create a stable OS.
Idk but I think XP was pretty decent
They had 1 full year to iron out user-experience kinks... if this is the level of finesse expected of Microsoft in their so-called 4th or 5th attempt at a mobile device, then I doubt they will be providing sufficient updates to refine the user-experience sufficiently until ‘3rd-party’ developers get on board and work with them, which does not seem likely in the past as much as today. Its all up to Microsoft (and they really know this) to fix all these issues without much external-developer help if this vision of theirs is going to materialise in the (near) future.
I have it. Its not as bad as some of these people say it is.
dont care about the camera. i take pics and dont even share. had the surface Pro 2, enjoyed it. pawned it. had too many laptops, surface was the slowest. when ever i can im getting the Surface Duo.
Sounds like all the fart apps came with a heavy toll, this thing should have a w10x option
this would be probably great for gaming :p one screen for buttons and one for game :P
If it's a lousy tablet and only an okay phone, it's not a great device.
So you have one?
She says the photos look good, but are we looking at the same photos? Lol
manual switch, option to automatic
I am genuinely interested in the potential of devices like this but for me, while I won't be buying either because of the extreme price, the Galaxy fold is actually better for what I would want to do which is surprising. That said I will be hanging onto my iPhone and iPad combo, while having two devices and doesn't sit quite as well with me as just having one, it's hard to argue with a brand-new iPad and a brand-new iPhone and still having change from $800.
It's not hard at ALL to argue with that setup 🤣
It presumes that one can live and be productive with the base iPad and the horrid iPhone SE -- and many consumers simply can't. WAY too many compromises and restrictions, even @ $800 total.
Besides, you know *damn* well that the $800 hardware isn't the sum total of it -- whatever Apple "concedes" there, they _more_ than make up for by soaking their customers with overpriced accessories, services, and "ecosystem wants".
That delusional bubble you iSheep inhabit seems to be getting larger and denser with time. Sad !
Does these run Windows 10
No. Its a surface theme or skin on android
Marcus Cross ok thanks
I won’t be buying this
Software has always been Microsoft's Achille's heel 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘵? Are you 𝘬𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨?
Microsoft's Achille's heel has always been its software, which is shameful, since Microsoft has always been primarily a software company. Maybe that's why it has been trying so hard so break into the hardware space, and only in the last five years has had some modicum of success there with its Surface product line.
Think about it. In forty years, the only strength Microsoft has had is marketing software innovations it literally thieved from other developers who didn't have as much money to advertise and distribute.
I am with you
So the software is half baked. Typical of nearly every company except Apple. (And I don't own any Apple devices. )
Anyone successfully activate with a sprint account? Looking for a guinea pig to test it for me
10 hours battery? that's pretty shitty for such an expensive phone
better than iphones
Black Pink in your Area! 🖤💖 How you like that?
Why didn't they make a screen like motorola's screen, smoothless, not divided.
because it is not a tablet. it is a dual screen design to support app flows that give you different views on each screen
@@bryanmanx Well, it should have been done in a tablet format, so I can expand from dual screens to one large screen, and that would been a nice feature. Definitely I would have been interested, especially with pen.
@@aleksdeveloper698 if you want that feature get the z fold. This is a dual screen. When you expand an app it's supposed to show you two different views here. Like in laptop mode if you had a game open. One screen would be the game and the other would be the controls like a Nintendo ds
@@bryanmanx Z fold is too small compared to this. I mean for that, I would be very interested if they removed that division in the middle.
@@aleksdeveloper698 search youtube for microsoft courier. this has been in the works for a while. the people they are targeting want two distinct screens. its definitely not meant to be a consumer device. this is a get stuff done device.
Windows 10 S + Surface Duo. LETS GO!
What's wrong with the cameraaa hahaha it's confused
I would not take this device for free!!
watching this on my sony tablet P...
thank u
BLACKPINK in your area!🖤💖
Idk why but I fall in love with the design it just look clean but unfortunately it’s not practical maybe if Microsoft put an physical keyboard instead of the second screen it would be more interesting device
I hope "reviewers" realize that this device is geared towards professionals with productivity in mind, not those who seek life validation via the number of shares, likes, comments, retweets they receive. This device is not designed for content creators.. Hail the Blackberry generation!!! :)