Customer Ratings & Reviews

Microsoft reimagined the tablet with the first Surface tablet in 2012 and they have continued to push the envelope, reimagining how we approach work, school and/or play on our devices. This time the Surface team have reimagined how productive we can be with a mobile device. The Surface Duo is an absolutely incredible device. It's designed with two screens that opens like a book and it's amazing how quickly you become used to running apps on either screen or enlarging an app to use both screens. The device is incredibly thin at only 4.8mm. Each screen measures 5.6" which together provide an 8.1 inches in a phone that folds and easily fits into your pocket. If you cannot quite picture in your mind how incredibly thin 4.8 mm is, consider this is only slightly more than the thickness of the USB-C port on the side of the device. I had personally spent very little time with the Android OS although I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly I was able to learn how to use the operating system and the apps on the Surface Duo. If you use Microsoft Office 365 then you'll be immediately productive as your previously opened documents and spreadsheets etc. will be ready to open and it's amazing how useful that extra screen space can be when editing a Word document or an Excel spreadsheet. If you use OneNote then you'll love the fact that you can use the Surface Slim Pen (or the original Surface Pen) with the Surface Duo! After work, that extra screen space can be really nice when watching a movie or simply catching up on social media. I truly believe that the Surface team has again created a device that will lead the way with being productive while mobile. The Surface Duo will definitely get the attention of friends, family and strangers alike. They will be impressed but not nearly as impressed as they will be when they get their hands on one themselves. The design is truly inspiring. I'm still in awe that they managed to place a finger print reader on the side of the device. You remember me saying the device is only 4.8mm thick. That means they designed and built a finger print reader that fits on the side of a 4.8mm thin device. Incredible. This isn't my first Surface, it definitely won't be my last, but this just might be the one I have had the most fun with. Note: Pictured alongside the Surface Duo is the Microsoft Surface Slim Pen. This is not included with the Surface Duo and is an accessory that can be purchased from Best Buy separately. This is definitely worth getting as it can be used to write and draw in apps such as Microsoft OneNote. It will also magnetically attach to the side of the Surface Duo. Note: Tech Insider Review - Reviewers in this invitation-only program are provided products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased reviews.

Terrible don’t waste your money on this I actually stopped using it.

This is going to be the business phone if the future. The good/great *Screens- two great screens look great and work great. * Thin - size is perfect. Fits in my pocket with no problem. Feels great in my hands * Finger print sensor. - never fails * Software - all my Android apps work and look great. I even started using microsoft edge * Pen support. Surface pen works great * Battery so far so good What keeps it from being five stars. * More RAM * Five G *Improvement on software. They are supposed to update every month. There are still a few glitches. Hope to see improvement over the next few months. Very happy with my purchase

I was provided this phone and reviewers in this invitation-only program are provided products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased reviews. That being said I see some great pros as well as cons for this device. It is multi-functional and although it is able to be used as a phone I wouldn't buy this for that as its main function. It does make clear phone calls and sending/receiving texts is just as easy and clear as on my S20 Ultra but holding it up to my ear to talk felt very awkward! If you are the type to ALWAYS use earbuds to make calls and be able to work productively via apps at the same time then this may work for you but it didn't for me. Having the two screens was also cool but figuring out how to navigate without a back/menu button on the bottom takes getting used to. Pros: Android System, very fast over Wifi and installing apps, Multi-Functional, got 50 MB/s down and 5 MB/s up on a 4G LTE network, great for watching movies on, works great for mobile gaming, quickly connected an XBOX One Controller and streamed games with no problem from Microsoft X Cloud, finger scanner works better than any other finger scanner I have ever used on a phone, hinges seem very well made to last a lot of opening/closing Cons: Battery WILL NOT last you all day under normal use, no Micro SD card available for expanded memory, not 5G if that matters to you, no wireless charging, no NFC, very awkward to hold up to your ear to use as a phone, two screens to protect, no cases/screen protectors widely available still to protect this thing I like the multimedia experience with this device but just can't see it replacing my S20 Ultra as my phone and media device with the number of cons.

A little buggy freezes a little some apps don't work yet but it saves me so much time especially as a mechanic I have thinkdiag so I can scan a car and go online at the same time without switching back and forth or when I want to watch something and play a game at the same time haven't tried the Microsoft pen yet that'll be my next step Google Chrome does not work good starts flickering have to use Edge Amazon's Kindle books are like awesome on this device flipping the page feels like you actually reading a book with having the two screens although if you can get past the little bugs that probably get worked out with later updates the device is awesome don't think it's a direct replacement for a phone yet the camera really low quality no NFC I can live without wireless charging

I absolutely love the Surface Duo. I own this and the Galaxy Z Fold 2 and they both have their advantages. The surface is wonderful device for the multitasker as well as those that need to sync up to their PC it works flawlessly and I can access files between both my phone and PC without any issues. Some drawbacks are of course the camera is not the greatest by any stretch as well as the software is still a bit buggy from time to time. But nothing that a software update won't fix down the road. Battery life is great I have had no issues at all it works all day and charges up pretty fast. Its a very sleek and smooth device with a great feel. I would recommend it for sure. I am really looking forward the the 2nd generation to see where this goes.

So in addition to this phone I also have a iPhone 12 Pro, I will be using this to compare as most use iPhone these days. I purchase this Windows Phone to be my work phone and I use a iPhone 12 Pro as my personal. And I love it, the Windows phone works with my Apps and because it is Android based, I've found it works with more business apps and programs like Excel, Word, and more because they seem to be more friendly to Android operating systems. The OLED is beautiful, more so than my iPhone 12 IMO. But the Camera is no where near as nice or easy to use as the iPhone. The duo screens allows you to view websites with ease and actually do an excel file or Pdf and not struggle to open or edit. Because its a mini-surface it has a lot of cool features, and I like the fact its not the screen bending. This is because that's a newer tech and I rather wait for a generation or two to go by so its full proof when I own it. They are rumored to make it solid screen next time. However, I've never been a fan of Android phones, but I do love how Windows has made it their own. You don't feel like your on a galaxy or other android you feel like your on a Windows only device which has Android support. If you understand what I mean. The only minor issues, the reason it doesn't get 5 full stars are: - The lack of aftermarket support for phone (I don't have a phone case cause no one carries them and I don't want to order online) - Crashing if you don't restart system. (this might be solve with those android killer apps, but I don't use them. Instead I just manually reset the phone every 3 days. But if I don't and miss it about 5 days it will start being glitchy. This is my experience from Androids so I assume its that and not Microsoft fault.) - If you drop it it will crack but inside stays fine due to closing (more fragile than iPhone i've noticed) - Camera Sucks, (thats mostly because compared to a Iphone12 pro camera, but the other reason there is only one and you have to fold phone, they should have made two cameras on inside instead of you manually having to turn phone lol.) All in all, if you're like me and work a lot with emails, Microsoft produces like word/excel, and find yourself needing access to a PC often then this might be the ticket for you. I use to have a Ipad for doing my business on the go from work but now i just use the Surface. I am able to write reports, make contracts etc with ease. Plus it fits in my pocket unlike my Ipad. If you're looking to REPLACE your iPhone with this then IDK, I don't think Android systems are as user friendly as iPhone. So, I couldn't recommend you replace but to have this as a second phone just for work. I think of this Duo as the "NEW" Blackberry.

The Duo is hands down a quality built phone. The vision and design for Microsoft’s re-entry into the mobile phone market is very nice. As with all firsts it comes with issues. It takes a little getting used to how utilizing the dual screens, swipe options, etc. There’s a certain expectation on a learning curve but it’s not bad. There are hiccups with the software, some lag and performance issues. But nothing one wouldn’t expect for a brand new concept. I would have expected a flagship 5G processor and a better camera for the price. Even on a business device we have come to expect amazing cameras. But I’m sure there may have been issues to consider in keeping the device as thin as it is with 2 screens. I think it’s very cool but not sure it’s quite ready to be my primary phone. If you like new tech toys, it’s a must to try.

Pros -My main purpose for this phone is to be able to take calls while imputing information to my calendar and calculating the price at the same time without the need of going back and forth. - I cut down on fidgeting my phone while driving now because of the size -Great for Youtube - Multi Tasking Game Changer Cons: -Software needs work but hopefully future updates can resolve some issues. -Battery in my opinion needs a higher capacity especially if both screens are being used so often for multi tasking. But having a portable with usb c charges the phone pretty quick. - 6gb of ram is not enough for multi tasking - needs to have an option to refresh or Optimize phone by deleting all unnecessary files. Overall great phone for my purpose of multi tasking. The other problems is minor for me.

A while ago, I said I’d no longer use my “Good, Bad, & Ugly” review format…the Microsoft Surface Duo ‘begs’ for its (temporary) return. If anyone from Microsoft reads this review, they might not be ‘happy’. At the same time, I’ve always promised to write fair, unbiased, honest reviews…and, that’s exactly what this is. UNBOXING, AND INITIAL IMPRESSIONS: The packaging is exactly what I’d expect from Microsoft. As environmentally-friendly as Apple’s packaging is, Microsoft could teach Apple something. As for the Surface Duo, itself, I’m “mixed”. I like the design, but, it’s also “unusual” - it has problems, starting with the screen ratio. People are used to display ratios in the 9:16 to 9:21 range…so, a 3:4 ratio is a strange choice. However, Microsoft took what Samsung started (with the Galaxy Fold), and improved upon it, as the custom UI is “smart” enough to utilize the two screens as two separate displays. Productivity users will love this, but the typical user perspective could find it “problematic”. Using my job as an example (Professional Chauffeur), I have two apps that I use on a constant basis, and I can I have them open simultaneously. With Samsung Galaxy devices (handsets & tablets), you can also do this…but, you must “split” the display in order to view them. With the Surface Duo, each app has its own display. SETUP: First ‘failure’ – the charging port. Microsoft has copied an Apple “feature”…and made it worse. If you have the Surface Duo powered down, the moment you plug the charging cable in, it powers up the phone. Worse, if the phone is on the charger, powered off, and you unplug the phone, the Surface Duo powers up. Honestly, I dislike this “feature”. There’s a reason why people charge devices with them shut down, and why they want those devices to remain ‘off’ when unplugging them from the charger. Second ‘failure’ – having to “jump through hoops”. As with other Android handsets, you should log into a Google account (not required, but HIGHLY recommended). Additionally, with non-Google handsets (Samsung, Motorola, etc), you have the option of logging into that brand’s account. For example, if you have a Samsung handset, you can create and/or log into a Samsung account. Again, not required, but recommended. With the Surface Duo, however, you ARE required to log into a Microsoft-based account. If you have 2-step verification, and your phone is your “authenticator” device, what do you do? Here comes those “hoops”. If you also have an Android tablet, you might be in luck. I say “might”, because it depends on whether the Microsoft Authenticator app is already on that tablet, and if you’re already signed in. In my case, Authenticator was not installed on my tablet…so, I had to go through a multi-step process to gain access through the Surface Duo. I won’t go into details here, but I will say that this wasted approx 20 minutes. Finally, we get to the worst possibility - for those who have no secondary Android device, and no backup email address, you will have a problem. IN-USE: Unlike the Samsung Galaxy Fold (two displays to create a single “screen”), or others with one ‘internal’ & one ‘external’ screen, Microsoft’s dual-screen implementation is unique, and could prove to be the future of (some) cell phone handsets. Whichever display the icon is on when opening an app, that’s the screen the app opens on…but, you can easily move it to the other screen. Unfortunately, doing so is not the most intuitive thing to do. Microsoft includes NO manual (a 2-page “manual” is included, but it only shows what buttons/ports are for what). There is a ‘Tips’ app, but an actual manual would be FAR more useful. To be honest, so far, I’m not impressed. Next problem - the form-factor. As I mentioned, while other handsets have 9:16 to 9:21 ratios, the Surface Duo’s displays have a 3:4 ratio. Obviously, when the phone is open, it’s held with two hands…but, when closed, or when folded back-to-back, it’s designed to be held with one hand. At almost 4” wide, it’s too wide…even wider than Apple’s & Samsung’s ‘phablets’. My wife tried to hold it, and it barely fit in her hand. If Microsoft had gone with a more-reasonable 9:16 ratio, they could have made it (when closed) 0.5” narrower, and approx 1” taller, which would have been a LOT easier to hold. Sorry, Microsoft, but this is a huge (figuratively, and literally) “fail”. Another problem - navigation buttons…or, the lack thereof. Handsets typically have either physical, or virtual, buttons. Microsoft completely eliminated them. Normally, you’d press a “Back” button to go ‘back’. With the Surface Duo, for the left display, you swipe right from the left side of the display; with the right display, you swipe left, from the right side of the display. It took me two days to discover this…talk about a PitA. There’s also the problem of finding currently-open apps. I accomplished this a few times…but only by accident. I still haven’t been able to successfully accomplish this every time I attempt it. The next elephant is the camera - 11MP max. That was very high-end…3-4 years ago. In 2020, all but a few have primary cameras with at least 24MP. Worse, all other handset cameras offer several resolution/ratio options (usually 5-7), but the Surface Duo only has three (4:3 11MP, 16:9 9.1MP, & 1:1 7.8MP). Video options are slightly better, but not by much. Finally, there’s no wireless charging (something almost all other handsets have), NFC, or expandable storage. ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS: For the average person, the Surface Duo is probably a really bad choice. So…who is this for? For those needing a great “productivity” handset, THIS is where the Surface Duo shines. Having two displays, able to display two separate apps, this is a ‘productivity’ person’s dream. Samsung’s S & Note handsets can display two apps simultaneously…but a single display must be “split”, making the two visible apps much smaller. With the Surface Duo’s dual-display, you can see more, allowing you to ‘do’ more. There’s also the fingerprint scanner. It’s the best fingerprint scanner I’ve seen, period. “Behind screen” scanners have constantly proven ‘problematic, to the point I won’t use them at all. With the Surface Duo, the scanner is on the right side, on the side of the handset. On top of that, it works better than any fingerprint scanner I’ve previously come across…it ALWAYS works. Unfortunately, having the best fingerprint scanner in the industry is not enough to make a “great” phone. THE GOOD: • Dual-display, in an incredibly innovative form-factor • Probably the best phone available for “productivity” people • Easily-accessible fingerprint scanner, and one that ALWAYS works correctly • At only 10mm thick (closed) & 4mm (open), it is thin…VERY thin THE BAD: • Low-resolution 11MP camera • No NFC • No expandable storage • OS “glitches” (which I’m fairly certain will be fixed in future updates) THE UGLY: • The 3:4 screen ratios • The size (width & height) • No wireless charging • Lack of navigation “buttons” • Won’t fit in most car holders (required by most states, for “hands-free” use while driving) FINAL VERDICT: Honestly, I really wanted to like the Surface Duo. A dual-display handset configured in this way is not only innovative, I believe this is the future of dual-display handsets. Unfortunately, having chosen the (outdated) 3:4 ratio, as opposed to a more-common 9:16 to 9:20 ratio, they’ve made a handset that’s too wide for the average person to hold it one-handed. While NFC isn’t a necessity, wireless charging should have been considered as “required”. I have little problem with not including expandable storage…but, if a manufacturer chooses to go this route, the least they can do is offer models with much higher storage capacities – at least 512MB, and (possibly) even 1TB. Even Apple is smart enough to realize this. If you’re a business and/or “productivity” user, the Surface Duo is probably your best option…for “productivity” users, I’d HIGHLY recommend the Surface Duo. However, for the average (ie. everyone else) user, this handset is probably the last handset I’d recommend. Truth-be-told, I’m not hoping this turns into another “failure” for Microsoft (as all of their previous handsets have been). Unfortunately, I have a feeling it will be…but, at the same time, I hope that Microsoft learns something from this. When the next version is developed, I hope that Microsoft takes what they’ve learned, and use that knowledge to produce not only a better product, but one that would truly be usable by more people. Disclaimer: This product was provided free, or at reduced cost, for the purpose of reviewing the product. Nevertheless, the above review, be it positive, negative, or anywhere in-between, is a 100% honest review, and the price paid played no part in my review.

Super thin, light, modern, and futuristic. Everyone is always amazed by the device when they see it and are always curious of it's functions and usage. The Duo is a great device for productivity, opening two apps at once and even watching videos spanned across both displays. The device does have good battery life and the display and reception are top notch. The Duo does have some "prototype" software, as Microsoft works out the kinks and gets it working well, but I would absolutely recommend this device to anyone who wants a usable device for work and play.

So I took a chance and watch many preview that was OK, not ready, not worth it, too many bugs. I still went for it being it had a good discount and could return it. This is my take on the Duo. The hardware is awesome from the hinge to the screen, finger print reader which is quick, and the different position it can firm to. At first the software wasn't great from bad gesture to multi apps running at the same time. Now after the Feb 2021 update its much better. Still need improvement but it's so much smoother from closing things, running two apps on the two separate screen is great. I can be playing a game and watch a video or do email, text, notes with the surface pen, doing shopping on Amazon on one screen and the other screen on best buy so I can compare the prices. It's actually amazing how it does this when running two different apps. It's not like multitasking like on my FOLD 2.the DUO actually does it well and the gestures how to move it around from one screen to the other or having it in the center to have it full screen using both screen. Battery last pretty long. Sound could be better but it's acceptable with just one speaker and loud enough, sound clear. Screen is bright and clear and love that it's glass so I can press on it compare to. My fold 2 you have to be careful. Camera like everyone said is more for zoom, meetings or chats. But it's not that bad when you need to take pictures and videos. And they improved how to switch between selfie and normal. Much much better. I can keep going on the improvements but will be working on a video soon and will update my preview. So I own FOLD 2, iPhone 12 Pro and love those phone. But i keep going for the surface duo for what it can do and how it handle the flow that I do. Like surfing the web, YouTube, texting, chatting with my grandkids, email, drawing ideas, playing games. It's the way it does it on two separate screen is amazing with the gesture that MS did. So I seem to. Use it more than my two other phone. In fact I use it more than my tablet cause how it handle both screen to create one screen. I can't wait for more updates to make it better. As of now it's smoother and I been using it a lot. Once you understand how the gestures work and how it handle twos apps at the same time you be amaze to where using my other phones feels like it could have been better. Kudos MS for putting a lot of thought on this device to where I using it more and more. Thank you. Watch my preview soon on the device. If you have the chance or funds to take it for a tour and catch it on sale. You may end up loving it for how it does things. That's why I been using it more than my other phones.

This phone won't be for everyone, it's wide, the camera is awful and it will sometimes just get disoriented. But what it does right or near to perfect is multitasking. I can open two apps at the same time on their own screen and it works without having to go into settings & adjusting the window size. You can be watching, reading, or on-call on one screen and taking notes on another. you can pair apps to open together too. I got this on sale so it was worth it for me. I Will be willing to upgrade later to a better Duo 2 or 3.

Since the March software update, I have seen almost no glitches. It works crazy fluid. Pros -super thin -pretty good battery -great battery -has a freakin extra screen -light -compatibility with surface pen Cons -camera, could be better but itnt the worst imo. -price, but is always on sale -screen could be brighter for outside

If you compare this to iPhones and Galaxy S or Notes, or any other flagship phone you are doing this wrong. The Surface Duo is a ground breaking productivity device. The two screen approach is ground breaking. Think of this as the Black Berry of the future. This will be great for Enterprise or task oriented folks. It's solid design and build is premium. My only gripe is the software needs some work. They also need developers get behind the two screen approach and develop for that. Last years flagship specs are good enough. This benchmarks with some of the best actually. It's weak at the camera and software for it. But its not designed to take amazing photos. Think of that as a web cam for conferences and meetings and occasional picture taking. 12MP isn't bad really. Good news is the hardware is great, and the software can be improved with releases. Is it more Enterprise based? Probably. But I'm trying to replace my notebook with this digital version and my laptop with this two screen approach. Its a great productivity tool to say the least.

If you normally use 2 screens for work, this device is ideal for you. Notice I didn't call it a 'phone' because it is much more than that. Being a new form factor, it has been a little buggy but the trade off has been improved productivity and sheer convenience of being able to use the 2 screens independently. Not to mention, the device looks sleek, sophisticated, and is well balanced. The camera takes good pictures but not great ones. If you are photography nut, this device definitively is not for you. For me, the Duo does 85% of what I normally do very well. The app groups work well and the drag n drop functionality is pretty sweet. The 15% it doesn't do is either functionality I may use very rarely or is not a priority for me. And yes it is expensive, but when you spend time with it and you start using it to its capability, you'll understand what Microsoft was trying to create when the Surface Duo. It doesn't directly compete with the iPhone 11, Samsung Galaxy 20, or the new Z Fold 2. It is different. And for me, I like it!

Love and hate relationship. Love the two screens, love the design (except for the camera placement). Much better but still buggy software, user experience. Overall I enjoy it, but if you are not into trouble and want a smoot experience, do not buy it before the 2nd version is out.

If it wasn't for the software bugs and lack of nfc it would be a 5/5 for me. I love this device design and concept. Just please keep forcing helpful update patches. They have been so I have hope.

I've had the Duo a week now. Overall I really like this device. It is definitely not for everyone. The hardware is beautiful. It has a premium feel to it. I don't use NFC or wireless charging so I don't miss those things. Using it is different than the OnePlus that I was using but nothing that made me not want to have this. I chose to use the gesture navigation and I was not used to that. It is also verrrrrry expensive. I got the Duo because I am heavy into Microsoft services. It works well with the office suite and has some pen support. The camera, for me, is taking a little getting used to. But the more I use it the easier it gets. I would recommend going to the store and checking out the display there.

Just had to have this new exciting product from Microsoft. It absolutely has that wow factor for a brand new product line like this. There have been a few hiccups with the software but I'm sure Microsoft can fix this soon. The product performs as promised and with its two separate screens really lets you perform apps like you could never do before. Great product and after using it for a week I'm still glad I purchased it. I would definitely recommend this product to anyone who is an avid tech person like myself who likes keeping on the cutting edge of technology.