Microsoft's dual-screen Android phone is more than just a pipedream, and will be hitting stores soon. After first being teased in October last year - roughly 87 months ago - the Surface Duo will be available from September 10 internationally.
Sadly, at this stage the Duo will only be available in the United States at launch, and there are currently no firm plans for an Australian release.
"Initially, Surface Duo will be available in the US," said a Microsoft spokesperson. "We'll share more information about market expansion at a later date."
Of course, we can still admire from afar. The Surface Duo has two 5.6-inch displays joined by a 360-degree hinge. When unfolded, the Surface Duo display measures in at 8.3-inches. You can fold the phone up like a laptop, you can lay it flat, you can use the second screen like a laptop keyboard, or you can fold the second display behind the first to make it a little more like a traditional smartphone.
While the Surface Duo might bring to mind the Galaxy Fold and Huawei Mate XS, it's a little more akin to the LG V50 Dual Display. The Surface Duo doesn't have one screen that bends, but two individual displays. It doesn't seem like you'll be able to use the Surface Duo as one large display for running a single app. Instead, each display can run two apps at the same time, or you can use the second display as a keyboard or game controller.
We found the LG V50 Dual Display to be a promising concept, but one that didn't quite work in execution. Typing with the Dual Display was challenging, attaching the second screen got in the way of using the camera and making phone calls, and it was just frustrating in general. It was barely an improvement over holding two phones at once. Hopefully, Microsoft is a little more thoughtful in its implementation of the dual-display concept.
Microsoft says all apps will run on the Surface Duo without any modification, but developers will be able to optimise their software to take advantage of the dual displays. Microsoft, naturally, has already optimised the Office family for its new phone. Amazon also has a Surface Duo optimised take on the Kindle app, where each screen shows a different page. The phone also has some smarts at play that will predict where it should open an app. For example, if you click a link in an email, it will open your browser on the second display.
On the plus side, two individual displays means the Surface Duo should be more durable than its truly foldable compatriots. Both screens are covered by Gorilla Glass, rather than plastic or ultra-thin glass.
In terms of other specifications, the Surface Duo is rocking last year's Snapdragon 855 processor, 6GB of RAM, at least 128GB of storage, a single 11MP camera, and a 3,577mAh battery. It's also compatible with the Surface Pen you'd use with a Surface tablet or laptop. The Surface Duo doesn't have 5G connectivity.
Internationally, the Surface Duo will set you back USD$1,399. That would convert to around $2,200 locally, after you factor in tax. This makes the Surface Duo more affordable than the Galaxy Fold, and roughly in-line with the Galaxy Z Flip.
Alex Choros
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