Leaked Surface Duo 2 Pics Show a Less Elegant Design however Hint at an Improved Camera

Last yr’s Surface Duo was a daring try by Microsoft to spearhead a brand new sort of cellular machine, however like a variety of first-gen merchandise, it didn’t fairly hit the mark. But now a second mannequin seems to be on the best way and new leaked pics depict a tool that trades out some sleekness for a extra succesful design.

Leaked pics of the Surface Duo 2 first appeared on a largely unknown YouTube channel late final month, and whereas the video’s text-to-speech narration and ambiguous sourcing don’t encourage a variety of confidence, the oldsters over at Windows Central claim these images are legit, doubtlessly giving us a sneak preview of what’s to return later this fall.

While maintaining the identical common design together with its signature hinge and twin shows, the large change on the Surface Duo 2 is a bigger new rear digicam module that features large, ultra-wide, and telephoto lenses. This new digicam module ought to give the Surface Duo 2 a giant enhance in digicam high quality (which was one of many weakest facets of the unique), although its cumbersome form protrudes considerably from the again and the cellphone and detracts from the unique Surface Duo’s tremendous smooth and chic look.

Now I get that Microsoft could have been pressured to make a transfer like this as a result of the standard of the unique Surface Duo’s images fell far in need of what folks have come to count on from a premium machine (particularly in low mild), not to mention a cellphone that value almost $1,500 at launch. However, not solely does that massive digicam module make the Surface Duo 2 look a bit awkward, however it could additionally make the cellphone more durable to make use of, with the scale of the digicam bump trying as if it is going to forestall the Duo 2 from opening a full 180 levels when remodeled into pill mode.

On the unique Surface Duo, Microsoft’s designers made an enormous effort to create a tool that was extraordinarily streamlined no matter which mode the cellphone was in, and with the leaked machine depicting what appears to be a prototype mannequin, I wouldn’t be shocked to see the ultimate model of the Surface Duo 2 sporting a considerably much less obtrusive rear cam.

Elsewhere, the Surface Duo 2 additionally seems to incorporate a handful of tweaks and improved options together with a fingerprint sensor that’s constructed into the cellphone’s energy button, barely bigger shows because of decreased bezels, a USB-C port that’s now centered on the proper half of the machine, and new help for NFC, which Microsoft didn’t embrace on the unique Duo.

The Duo 2’s specs are additionally rumored to incorporate a big refresh with Microsoft choosing a Snapdragon 888 chip with help for 5G and probably extra RAM as nicely. Unfortunately, it stays to be seen if Microsoft will be capable to embrace issues like wi-fi charging or an official score for water resistance, which have grow to be commonplace options on most high-end smartphones.

Finally, along with commonplace grey, it seems the Surface Duo 2 may be out there in black this yr, sporting a frosted glass physique as an alternative of the shiny end Microsoft used on final yr’s machine.

Currently, the Surface Duo is predicted to make its official debut someday later this fall (most likely in September or October). And whereas these upgrades ought to go a good distance in the direction of making the Surface Duo 2 a extra aggressive machine in comparison with different premium telephones, the true take a look at for Microsoft shall be the way it has improved the Duo 2’s software program, which confirmed a variety of promise however was mired by a lot of bugs and the dearth of a significant OS replace, with the unique Surface Duo nonetheless working Android 10.