Surface Duo Review: A Beautiful Mess

1. Funny how none of these reviewers discouraged anyone from buying the Galaxy Fold with all it's many flaws. Even the Z Fold 2 is overpriced for a phone with a super fragile main screen. The Surface Duo is not a traditional phone. It it a multitasking beast. The Z Fold 2 is strictly for media consumption. To each his own.

2. I really wish tech reviews watch their words better when it comes to recommending devices. I think that initailly almost all reviewers got it wrong. First, the Duo has Microsoft and Google services, just like every other smartphone that runs Android. Prompting a user to sign in with both accounts should have been expected since the device is made by Microsoft. Secondly, this isn't a phone- not saying this reviewer in particular is saying it is, but I feel like his posisiton is based on that of other smartphones. Microsoft had to do a lot of work to get its skin to run as efficiently as possible on a mobile operating system that was simply not designed for this form factor. I think they did a great job with it. As far as bugs, currently, it is not as bad as it was protrayed. I will say, the issues don't rely with Microsoft- it's Android. It's simply not optimized to run with the device, simple as that. Doesn't mean that you can't use it. As far as speed, it's not a slow phone. Does it slow doen at times? yes. The specific issue with YouTube and potential bluetooth lags? I have not had that problem. The camera? It's not the best camera, not the worst. It's usable. I really tried to agree with the reviewers and say it's bad, but it's not. Lastly, ALL of the phones he compared it to are not in the Duo's weight class. NO PHONE ON THE MARKET IS BECAUSE ITS NOT A PHONE. That's why there is no screen on the front!! If you really want to see your notifications without opening the Duo, buy a smartwatch!! The gripe I had with my smartwatch paired to my phone most of the time was that I never really used it while paired on my Note 10+ unless it was far away from me and still connected. If it was near me and I heard a notification sound on my phone, regardless if I got the notification on my watch I would unlock the phone. I think it was just habit for me. But with the Duo, I can get the notification on the watch, view it, then decide if it's important enough to open the Duo. I think that was the whole purpose of having a smartwatch on your wrist. If you want a new experience on a mobile device that runs android, and you want to be more productive, or at the very least have more screen real estate without having to carry a tablet all around, this is the mobile device for you. If you like the idea of having a phone and a tablet, this might not be the device for you. I feel that if reviewers focus more on the usability than its price, and compariing it to other devices that can't hold a candle to what this device does, Microsoft's intended vision would reach more people, and put the people in a position to make an informed decision for themselves if they wanted to purchase the device. I didn't buy it when it first came out due to all of the bad reviews, but due to the concept of the device and how I felt I would be able to make use of it, I decided to purchase it for myself straight from Microsoft to ake advantage of the 60 day return policy, and so far…I don't think I will be sending it back. It is an incredible device. If you are on the fence, buy it and give it a chance!!

3. Do not get this phone!!! It is buggy as crap. Half of the time you can't get anything to work. Wait till the 2nd gen, then I think this could be a beast of a phone. And getting it returned is an absolute nightmare!!

4. Returned mine for the Fold 2 and I love it so much!

5. Garbage! I have 4 different replacements..just returned the 4th one today..

6. do you have small hands because the duo look huuuuuge

7. They really need to cut this phone in half. Get rid of the bezels but keep the same build. That would be interesting.

8. You should try updating it. I heard many had this issue but once updated it was fixed

9. Beautiful my butt. It's a mess. Period.

10. Yeah I going to wait for the second version come out

11. The Surface Duo is a nice, if not buggy, re-entry to the mobile market. I can't wait to see what they do to iron out the software and the changes in version 2.

12. Gotta start somewhere. Can't expect a store full of apps when there are no dual-screen devices already.

13. Great detailed Review….As Always…There are very few channel that I trust with my purchase decision and this is One of them. I was first here after a mention from MRMOBILE and I Love the channel since. I wish you great Success.

14. A mees? Check previous Smartphones

15. This phone is not ready to be launched… 1400 👀 not a chance in hell I would ever invest in this device.

16. Unless you are like me – Bleeding edge baby! but dealing with the caveats as I go.

17. This is going to make Jerry Rig Everything's bend test really easy…

18. Duo2 will be awesome. I am waiting for my Fold2, but Microsoft did well. Well… The next-gen I expect to be amazing, imagine no notch? A pen? More cameras?

19. Complete waste of money!! And a waste of time, and our reviewer is right on! UNLESS Microsoft is, in the long term going to improve the the entire world of Android apps, and how they work on 1st Tablets, then 2nd on this one-of-a-kind device nobody else has exactly, the Duo is going to be just like Microsoft’s first phone…a Failure. And at the baseline is the entire central problem with the entire realm of Android tablets which has essentially been a failure.
    This is why Apple rules in the arena of Tablets. Plain and simple. And then Microsoft expects you to spend $1400 !! That’s the cost of a real laptop! Totally stupid.

20. I find it a bit sluggish when changing the orientation. Otherwise the apps have not appeared sluggish. I have not had issues with Bluetooth. Love the Duo. Yes there are numerous issues but the two screens allow me to forgive. Things will be fixed. Whether by Microsoft or if Android 11 should not take too long. If you are comfortable with tech and understand it is a bit rough around the edges then don't be afraid to buy the Duo. I absolutely love it.

21. I'm actually really surprised with the review. I haven't had any problems with the bugs you are describing. There doesn't seem to be a lag for me and the bluetooth works fine. Received my Surface Duo on the 10th and love it.

22. look at those bezels

23. Very short sighted review.

24. I love the Duo for what it is but it’s not an all in one device as is and I think that’s one of the biggest shortcomings of it. After seeing the LG Wing announcement today, that’s the device that really strikes as the perfect balance of form and function. LG really thought their approach of the phone. The Duo is a nice concept though and the software updates are what will be the key to its success in my opinion.

25. I wasn't expecting such a fair shake… usually people trash Microsoft. Especially when they try to invent a new form factor or change something we're used to.
    I think all your reluctance is justified.. yet you still are going to be patient and see if there is more to this form factor and get back to us… As a person who can't afford this, but is super curious about it… I applaud you and your team. Thanks!

26. Thanks a lot for your superb video review. Having said that, IMHO, the appearance looks obsolete out of the box and boy, loads of bugs. I love it when you said it feels like a book 😉 Please keep it up.

27. I feel like the Surface Duo 2 is gonna be absolute fire. They built a product with incredible precision and care, and now they're getting lots of solid feedback from the market to make it even better. It sounds like most folks would take 1 or 2 mm on each panel to get qi/nfc/ and a bigger camera sensor.

28. It’s just two flattened phones connected by some good hinges.

29. It reminds me of early generation of Surface Pro. Microsoft with surface way steps ahead. Even now with Duo i think that google os android is not ready for this. For those who can't see where microsoft is going, should try to see deeper.

30. Not sure why you recommend this form factor over the Galaxy Z Fold 2. The Fold can not only do ALL those multi-tasking windows (and more) it can give you one big screen with no divider in the middle for truly immersive content like video, web pages, images or full spreadsheets for example. On top of that you get a way better hardware experience and more pocketability. Microsoft really are a long way off bringing this to market.

31. I figured out why I’m not that jazzed about this product. I have a iPad mini 5 that I use almost every day and it is capable of most of the things this gen 1 phone is attempting. The hinge and gaming capabilities are cool and unique but besides that this just seems like a buggy iPad mini. Will be interesting to see any improvements made next gen.

32. Looks cool

33. She's my Rushmore Max.

34. Embarrassing

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