How Microsoft’s Surface Duo 2 compares with Samsung’s flagship foldable

It’s official: the troubled Surface Duo is now last-gen. Microsoft introduced its successor, the Surface Duo 2, throughout its latest fall Surface occasion, capping off months of rumors and introducing the machine alongside the Surface Pro 8, Surface Laptop Studio, and a bevy of recent units designed to make the most of Windows 11.

The new Android-based smartphone begins at $1,499.99 — $100 lower than the unique — and launches on October twentieth in a number of configurations. It retains the hinged design of its predecessor — solely this time, it comes outfitted with a extra thought-out digicam system, 5G assist, and a contemporary processor that brings it extra in step with flagships from Samsung, Xiaomi, and OnePlus. And whereas it’s not a foldable within the conventional sense — it’s outfitted with two screens, not one — it’s not in a category of its personal, both. Blame the Galaxy Z Fold 3.

The Fold 3 not too long ago set the bar for what foldable telephones may obtain, bringing with it higher multitasking, a waterproof construct, and a refined show that’s a notable step up from the unique mannequin launched in 2019. But is Samsung’s premium foldable a match for the forthcoming Duo 2? After all, Samsung’s foldable is markedly totally different from Microsoft’s with regards to design.

The Fold 3 includes a smaller, 6.2-inch show that covers your entire entrance of the machine. It additionally comprises a versatile, 7.6-inch OLED on the within, which unfurls as you open the cellphone with the help of an aluminum hinge. There’s nonetheless a small hole between the 2 sides when closed, nonetheless, which is seen on the Galaxy Z Flip 3 as properly. The latter cellphone — a wholly totally different machine from the Fold 3 we’re evaluating right here — additionally includes a foldable show, solely the machine is smaller, folds vertically, and retails for $700 much less.

The Duo 2 doesn’t depend on a versatile show. Like its predecessor, it makes use of two separate, 5.8-inch OLED panels that quantity to eight.3 inches when seen collectively, with a big bezel operating between them. The hinge connecting the 2 shows permits you to fold the cellphone in half with the shows on the skin so you should use the machine one-handed, although the cellphone’s giant digicam bump means they’ll by no means shut utterly.

The screens — whereas the promoting level — aren’t every little thing, nonetheless. Below, we’ve in contrast the Fold 3 and Duo 2 in additional element forward of our full Duo 2 evaluation.

Spec-for-spec, in some methods

To put it mildly: the unique Surface 2 had its shortcomings. The digicam was atrocious, the software program buggy, and Microsoft was nonetheless charging a beginning value of $1,399 for simply the machine, a staggering quantity when you think about the faults. And whereas it was seemingly launched untimely, it was progressive, a lot so The Verge’s Dieter Bohn hoped — like me — that we’d see a second iteration of the smartphone down the road.

Well, right here it’s.

On paper, the Surface Duo 2 seems to be to deal with most of the aforementioned issues. It’s outfitted with the identical high-end Snapdragon 888 processor discovered within the Galaxy Z Fold 3, which is Qualcomm’s newest chipset and the brains behind virtually each Android flagship launched this yr, from the Samsung Galaxy S21 to the OnePlus 9. Like the Z Fold 3, the second-gen Duo can be accessible in each 128GB and 512GB storage configurations when it launches subsequent month, in addition to an extra 128GB variant. The Duo 2 solely options 8GB of RAM, nonetheless, in comparison with the Fold 3’s 12GB. Software optimization will definitely play a job in how environment friendly the cellphone is at multitasking, however the Fold 3 has the higher hand spec-wise. Both telephones additionally assist 5G connectivity, Wi-Fi 6, and NFC for contactless funds — one thing the unique Duo didn’t supply — together with both Bluetooth 5.0 or 5.1.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 (256GB)

The Galaxy Z Fold 3 is Samsung’s newest try at making foldable telephones extra mainstream. It’s costly, certain, nevertheless it’s additionally extra sturdy than earlier fashions and comes with a 120Hz show and assist for the once-exclusive S Pen.

Battery capability tells an analogous story. The Fold 3 packs in a 4,400mAh battery, which, in our testing, lasted a full day with roughly 4 hours of display screen time. The Duo 2 options twin batteries that add as much as a capability of 4,449mAh, and Samsung claims they need to present 15.5 hours of native video playback and 28 hours of speak time. Both fashions additionally assist quick charging and USB-C; nonetheless, the Fold 3 moreover helps wi-fi charging, whereas the Duo 2 doesn’t.

We’ll have a greater sense of how far that battery capability will get you as soon as we’ve examined the machine, however the elevated capability on this yr’s Duo ought to assist it compensate for the 90Hz show and added 5G assist. The two batteries inside the unique Duo solely added as much as a mere 3,577mAh, but we routinely made it by way of a full day on a single cost. We’re hoping the identical may be mentioned of the Duo 2.

Displays on show

Photo by Dieter Bohn / The Verge

Image: Microsoft

Like all foldables, the defining attribute of the Duo 2 and Fold 3 are the shows, which afford every smartphone extra display screen actual property and permit them to perform a bit extra akin to a pill when opened. On the within, the Fold 3 includes a brilliant, 7.6-inch OLED display screen with 2208 x 1768 decision and a 120Hz refresh price for smoother scrolling. It additionally sports activities a 6.2-inch show on the quilt with 2268 x 832 decision and, once more, a 120Hz refresh price. In our testing, we discovered each shows to be an unlimited enchancment over earlier iterations, with the interior show showcasing an added degree of sturdiness due to Samsung’s customized aluminum alloy. The exterior show on the Fold 3 additionally means you don’t must open the machine with the intention to use it, which renders it a bit of nearer to a standard cellphone.

The Duo 2, nonetheless, takes a special strategy. Inside, you’ll discover two 5.8-inch OLED panels, every with 1344 x 1892 decision and a 90Hz refresh price. When opened, the twin panels create an 8.3-inch show with 2688 x 1892 decision, with a bezel operating between the 2. The Duo 2 doesn’t supply an exterior cowl just like the Fold 3; nonetheless, the curved glass on the perimeters of the show does showcase the time and a few notifications when the cellphone is closed, providing you with some primary information at a look. The 360-degree hinge additionally permits you to open the Duo 2 like a ebook or prop it up like a tent, offering an added degree of flexibility.

The outward design of each fashions is as diverse as their strategy to the show. The Fold 3 is comparatively tall and slim when closed, weighing in at 271 grams. The hinge-reliant Duo 2 is barely shorter and heavier at 284 grams, although; it’s additionally thinner — so skinny, in truth, that Microsoft claims the Duo 2 is the thinnest 5G machine in the marketplace (it’s solely 11 millimeters thick when closed). It’s not as skinny as the unique Duo, which measures 9.9 millimeters on the hinge, nevertheless it’s shut.

Additionally, each smartphones use Gorilla Glass Victus, which Corning claims can resist a six-foot drop whereas persevering with to chase away scratches. The Fold 3, nonetheless, takes issues additional with IPX8 water resistance, which means it may be absolutely submerged in as much as half a meter of water for as much as half-hour. We don’t anticipate most individuals will rush out to dunk their telephones, nevertheless it’s good to know it may deal with an unexpected spill or a bit of rain. The Duo 2 solely gives an IPX1 score, which, actually, is successfully nothing.

Android 11 throughout

Unsurprisingly, the Duo 2 and Z Fold 3 are additionally related on the software program entrance. Whereas the first-gen Duo launched with Android 10 has but to obtain Android 11 — Microsoft says it can arrive earlier than the tip of the yr — the Duo 2 ships with a personalized model of the latter designed for higher multitasking. The Fold 3 additionally runs on Android 11, albeit with some small visible and interface tweaks courtesy of Samsung’s customized One UI 3 pores and skin.

Last yr, Samsung mentioned latest Galaxy units will obtain assist for 3 generations of Android updates, and as such, the Fold 3 is ready to obtain routine Android OS updates alongside month-to-month safety patches for the subsequent 4 years. Microsoft has promised well timed updates for the Duo 2, nevertheless it’s nonetheless unclear as to what that appears like. A yr after its debut, the unique Duo stays buggy, regardless of Microsoft having shipped a variety of updates to deal with multitasking and gesture points. Samsung has a greater observe document with regards to issuing software program updates in a well timed method, a probable boon for the Fold 3.

Both smartphones are designed for multitasking and productiveness, nonetheless, and their software program displays that. The Duo 2 can run two apps aspect by aspect or one app that may increase throughout each shows. The Duo 2 additionally boasts compatibility with Microsoft’s lineup of Surface Pens, together with the Surface Slim Pen 2, which might magnetically dock and cost wirelessly when paired with the non-compulsory Surface Duo 2 Pen Cover ($65). The Fold 3 gives an analogous set of performance due to options like Flex mode and App Pair, in addition to the Fold-specific S Pen, which is offered individually and likewise requires a particular case for storage.

Camera elements

Camera-wise, neither mannequin is aimed toward pictures fanatics. Microsoft’s subsequent foldable could also be a large step up from its first-gen counterpart and, on paper, a slight lower above the Fold 3, nevertheless it’s nonetheless extra midrange than flagship. That mentioned, each the Duo 2 and the Fold 3 function a three-camera array on the rear, with 12-megapixel sensors for huge and telephoto. The Duo 2, nonetheless, additionally features a higher-resolution ultrawide digicam (16MP in comparison with the Fold 3’s 12MP sensor), in addition to optical picture stabilization on the huge and ultrawide.

Aperature, then again, is sort of the identical throughout each units, with the wide-angle on the Duo 2 being barely sooner at f/1.7. We’ll have to attend till we are able to put the Duo 2 by way of its paces earlier than we make a ultimate judgment name, but when its three-camera array performs something like that on the Fold 3, it’s nonetheless not going to compete with the likes of Apple’s iPhone 13 or the Galaxy S21 Ultra.

Image: Microsoft

On the entrance, the Duo 2 sports activities a 12MP shooter with an f/2.0 aperture. The Fold 3 sports activities a 10MP selfie digicam with an f/2.2 on the quilt, together with a 4MP under-display digicam on the inside, which is equal components horrible and distracting given the distinct moire impact the experimental function creates at sure viewing angles. Both units may seize 1080p and 4K video footage at 30 and 60fps, in addition to slow-motion video at as much as 240fps. The Fold 3 goes a bit additional with assist for 720p, slow-motion video at 960fps, and 4K hyperlapse movies at 30fps.

Sky-high pricing

Let’s face it: neither foldable is affordable — removed from it. The 128GB base configuration of the Surface Duo 2 will run you $1,499.99, with the 256GB and 512GB fashions retailing for $1,599.99 and $1,799.99, respectively. Like the unique mannequin, Microsoft’s newest foldable can be accessible in glacier white, along with a brand new obsidian black colorway. Preorders are already underway, with shipments anticipated to exit earlier than the cellphone’s launch on October twentieth.

The Galaxy Fold 3 is much more costly. The 256GB base mannequin retails for $1,799.99 and is at the moment accessible in considered one of three colours: phantom inexperienced, phantom black, and phantom silver. The 512GB configuration runs $1,899.99; nonetheless, the bigger mannequin is just accessible in phantom black. Like the Duo 2, there are service offers, trade-in reductions, and cost plans accessible for the Fold 3; nonetheless, most kickbacks come within the type of credit score.

While not the point of interest of this comparability, there’s additionally the Galaxy Flip 3 to contemplate. The machine’s inner show is likely to be smaller, however the cellphone nonetheless includes a Snapdragon 888 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a waterproof construct. It additionally starts at $1,000, which means it retails for across the similar value as many high-end, non-folding telephones.

The backside line

On paper, Microsoft’s Surface Duo 2 reveals loads of promise, notably when in comparison with its predecessor. It has a contemporary, high-end processor and upgraded digicam system, together with a much bigger battery, bigger shows, and 5G assist. These are welcome upgrades, however we gained’t have a concrete thought as to how properly they carry out till we are able to do an in-depth evaluation. There’s additionally the query of longevity and assist — will Microsoft really replace the Duo 2 in a well timed style, or will it go the best way of the Duo and solely obtain the occasional software program patch and safety replace?

The Galaxy Z Fold 3, in the meantime, is the very best foldable you should purchase proper now. The base configuration of the Fold 3 is $300 greater than the beginning value of the Duo 2, nevertheless it comes outfitted with related specs, together with a 120Hz show, wi-fi charging, and a water-proof, IPX8-rated design. The latter two options are actually extra of the norm than the exception, and it’s a disgrace Microsoft didn’t incorporate both with the Duo 2. Still, in the event you see no want for a show with the next refresh price or any of the aforementioned perks that include the Fold 3, Microsoft’s second-gen foldable is likely to be definitely worth the wait.