The latest report from the market research company Omdia says that Microsoft has finally announced the release date of the long-awaited dual-screen smartphone-tablet hybrid device Surface Duo. This device is equipped with two 5.6-inch displays, which are connected by hinges instead of a foldable screen. The device comes standard with a cellular network connection and the price is $1,400.
Surface Duo doesn’t look like a contemporary flagship device
Now, Microsoft is re-entering the mobile field. Prior to this, in the final effort to keep Windows Phone alive, Microsoft made a disastrous acquisition of Nokia’s mobile phone division and abandoned this field in 2016. Microsoft’s new device uses Google’s Android operating system instead of any version of Windows.
This is one of the reasons why this device is unique. Unlike Samsung or Huawei’s foldable devices, the Surface Duo is characterized by the use of two independent displays instead of a foldable display. This design is more rugged and less gorgeous. This will undoubtedly improve the performance and reliability of the device, but it leaves Microsoft technically behind.
Daniel Gleeson, chief analyst of Omdia consumer technology, said that the large bezel elements in the Surface Duo design reinforce the notion that Microsoft cannot keep up with the development of mobile device technology. In the past two years, almost all flagship mobile devices have worked hard to eliminate borders, which makes Surface Duo look like a retro product from a few years ago .
Although the goal of Surface Duo is not the flagship smartphone market, the comparison is inevitable, especially in terms of the appearance and feel of the device. In this regard, Microsoft is not very successful.
Surface Duo extends the definition of smartphones to a critical point
From the understanding of most people, Surface Duo is not a mobile phone; this device is too big, and its use cases are focused on work and games. However, it supports voice calls, and because of the use of a foldable hinge, when using this device to answer a call, it is like holding a normal mobile phone to the ear. Surface Duo comes standard with a cellular network connection, but only with 4G LTE.
Although the discussion about whether the Surface Duo is a mobile phone is interesting, Omdia believes that ultimately it is not important. Given the design issues that Surface Duo faces and the need to explain to consumers why they need this device instead of a more traditional smartphone, Surface Duo is unlikely to be successful.
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