The release of the Royole Flexpai back in 2019 ignited the spark for the creation of foldable smartphones. With futuristic designs and promises that looked good on paper, the actual result was disappointing. Samsung's Galaxy Fold brought with its release a host of problems, ranging from poor screen quality, to a bombshell price tag and the most recognizable of all being the flimsy hinge which broke off or cracked for several users.
However, Microsoft in 2020 released their take on a foldable smartphone with the Surface Duo. The clean, full white body of the phone appealed to most tech gurus, but brought up criticism from others. But don't get me wrong, theres a lot to like about this phone ; including its 360 degree hinge which truly captures the essence of a foldable smartphone. This is something that the Surface Duo has achieved which the Galaxy Fold or the Z flip could not. In the Galaxy's case, we saw a loose, almost fragile hinge which gave the feeling of being cracked or broken at anytime, but the Surface Duo has provided a completely rigid, fully foldable hinge which allows the user to use it in several positions according to his/her comfort. The phone comes with a Usb type C port , with no headphone jack or micro SD card slot. The camera mechanism is probably the most interesting feature about this device. Instead of having 2 different cameras; one in the front and rear of the phone, the Surface duo uses a single camera setup which doubles as a selfie and rear facing camera. But with a mere 11Mp sensor, the camera quality shouldn't appeal to many.
The specs of the device, though useable are about a year old and compared to the Galaxy Fold , doesn't boast a smooth fluid 120 Hz display.
Compared to other foldables in its class, the Surface duo falls flat on some aspects;
The surface duo certainly won't be for everyone. With an estimated 1400$ price tag, it won't appeal to most people looking to buy a new phone; but it looks cool…..right ?
Aarav Midha
Aarav Midha is a writer for Verity Today.
