Microsoft Surface Duo 2 Review: For the sake of being different

By Alex Choros

Last updated 30 November 2021

Microsoft Surface Duo 2 Review: The Verdict

The dual-screen Surface Duo 2 is a novel concept that puts innovation ahead of practicality. While it has a few nifty tricks, the Duo 2 is a device where Microsoft clearly asked if it could, rather than if it should.

What we love

Unique
Can be great for multitasking
Xbox Cloud Gaming is very cool with the second screen

What could be improved

Almost impossible to use one-handed
Poor camera
Expensive

The essentials

Performance: Great.
Battery: Just okay. A full day per charge is doable if you're a lighter user, but moderate-to-heavy use will see you in a need of a top-up, especially if you're using both screens at once regularly.
Screen: No complaints.
Camera: Poor. While you can take nice enough photos, you'll need to work for them. The camera is more prone to blow out than it should be, and low light images are far too grainy.

55/100

From $2,319

The Surface Duo 2 is Microsoft's first phone to launch in Australia since 2016. Rather than going at it alone with another mobile take on Windows, the Surface Duo 2 is an Android-powered handset that's anything but conventional. Rather than returning to the mobile world with a stock standard slab of glass and metal, Microsoft has instead given us a different take on a foldable. Even if not entirely practical, it's the kind of device where you absolutely have to give the company props for trying.

Instead of featuring a single bendy pane of glass, the Surface Duo 2 is made up of two 5.8-inch displays connected by a hinge. When combined, the screen measures 8.3-inch. You don't get an external display on the Surface Duo 2 (as seen on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3, for example), so you can't actually use the phone when it's shut. There is however a slight curve on both screens, so you can theoretically check whether you have notifications by looking at the side of the Surface Duo 2, but for the most part, you're just better off unfolding the device. The active area is simply too small to be useful.

The hinge itself feels great, and is robust enough to keep the two screens in whatever alignment you want them. Microsoft certainly delivered on build quality. In addition to having the screens side by side, you can also opt for a laptop-style configuration, a tent, or one screen behind the other to make the Surface Duo 2 feel like a more conventional phone.

Conventional isn't exactly apt, however. Even when you use the Surface Duo 2 in what I'd call "phone mode", it's a very different experience to any other handset. To start, the 5.8-inch display is short and stout. It's far too wide to type on with just a single hand - there's just no way to reach across the entire keyboard. In turn, it's not a good fit for pockets. The Surface Duo 2 wasn't exactly comfortable to cart around in jeans. Phone mode also means you're completely obscuring the Surface Duo 2's camera setup. You'll have to pop the device back into tablet mode if you want to take a photo, or even just check in to a venue. It can be an awkward experience.

When you've got both screens side-by-side ("tablet mode", for the sake of simplicity), they're designed to work independently for the most part. By default, you'll use a different app on each. You might have 1Password on one screen and your web browser on the other. Or Gmail on one and OneNote on the second.

It's actually not a bad setup for multi-tasking, but it can still be a little awkward. For example, if you need to type, you'll only get the keyboard on one display. This means you can only type with one hand, although the keyboard will skew toward your hand to make it a little bit easier.

You technically can extend apps across both screens, but this leaves a weird gap in the middle, with content missing. It's just not an ideal experience. Alternatively, you can flip the device so that one screen is on the bottom and on top, and use the lower screen as a dedicated keyboard. It's definitely one of the better uses for the second display.

My favourite two-screen experience on the Surface Duo is Xbox Cloud Gaming. Certain games that have been optimised for touch controls - such as Gears 5 - give you a virtual controller on the second screen, instead of covering the game itself. I'd still take an actual controller over a touch screen, but it works surprisingly well, especially in a pinch. And hey, it's hard to go wrong with Nintendo DS vibes.

The Surface Duo 2 also supports Microsoft's Surface Slim Pen 2, which will set you back an extra $189.95. The phone itself can't charge the pen without either picking up a case or a charger, which go for $94.95 or $49.95, respectively. Considering the Surface Duo 2 already starts at $2,319, it's a quick way to make an expensive purchase even pricier. Sadly, the Surface Slim Pen 2 mostly acts as a glorified stylus. Microsoft hasn't really considered how the Pen integrates with the operating system. Microsoft's default keyboard doesn't even support stylus input. I had to swap to Gboard to be able to handwrite in most apps. Pen support on the Duo just feels like an afterthought.

Despite the $2,319 price tag, the Surface Duo 2 is lacklustre when it comes to key specs like camera and battery life. In addition to being awkward to use, the phone's cameras aren't great. They're prone to blow out as soon as outdoor lighting gets even a touch too bright, leaving you with images that look like they were taken by a $200 phone.

Microsoft Surface Duo 2 camera sample: Billie

You can luck out and get a balanced image with a few attempts, but that's not good enough for a device in this price bracket. Low light is also a bit of a mess, with images featuring too much noise.

Microsoft Surface Duo 2 camera sample: street at night

Trying to take a good photo with the Surface Duo 2 is simply too much work. Microsoft can build a cool hinge, but it clearly doesn't have the software experience for a great mobile photography experience.

Battery life is underwhelming too - I found myself getting between three and fours of screen time per charge. In real world terms, that means that even moderate users may find themselves in search of a charger before the end of the day.

I also experienced a few odd issues when testing the Surface Duo 2. I found the screen could be a tad unresponsive when swiping on it, especially up and down. I often needed to swipe multiple times to open up the notifications pane, for example. The camera app was very prone to crashing, seemingly for no reason whatsoever. And I also had the Surface Duo 2 hard crash on me. I was scrolling through Twitter and it just locked up and shut down, marking the first time I've seen a phone do that in a number of years.

Microsoft Surface Duo 2 - Final Thoughts

The Surface Duo 2 is an interesting experiment that has some novel use cases, but for the most part, is too expensive and unpolished to be worth considering. As cool as the concept is, the phone itself is unwieldy, and the software experience is rough, and that's without even getting into concerns like camera quality. Microsoft made a device for the sake of being different without adequately considering the practicalities.

I love seeing unique tech and more competition in the mobile space, but the Surface Duo 2 just isn't a good buy. If you're looking for a futuristic phone geared toward productivity, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is a much better pick. At the same time, I hope Microsoft isn't just going to give up on its mobile ambitions this time.