Editor's accept: Microsoft Surface Duo 2 is a fleck of a double-edged sword. On one hand, information technology addresses many of the shortcomings associated with its predecessor, such as dated internal hardware and a lackluster camera system. On the other hand, it's even more expensive than the starting time-gen model, which was amongst the priciest handsets on the market when it debuted terminal yr. That device saw a massive toll cut just a few months after launch -- could the aforementioned happen this time around, too?

Microsoft introduced today its second-generation Surface Duo multi-screen smartphone.

The new Surface Duo 2 is Microsoft's latest entry in the "foldable" category. Dissimilar traditional foldables, however, Microsoft isn't using a single flexible display, but rather 2 standalone v.8-inch AMOLED PixelSense touchscreen displays (i,344 10 1,892 resolution, 800 nits of brightness, 401 PPI each) that are much more than durable than their plastic counterparts.

The Surface Duo two unfolds into an 8.3-inch display operating at a speedy 90Hz refresh rate, and both panels are coated with hardened Corning Gorilla Glass Victus, which has twice the scratch resistance compared to Gorilla Glass half dozen . Unfolded, the panels measure only 5.5 inches thick, making it the thinnest 5G device on the market according to Microsoft.

Forth the spine of the Android-powered device is a "glance bar" – an e'er-on section of the screen that displays helpful information like battery life and notifications.

Microsoft's latest has received a significant upgrade in the camera department also. The Surface Duo 2 features a triple rear-facing camera arrangement comprised of a 12-megapixel, 27mm wide-angle camera with f/one.vii aperture and OIS, a 12-megapixel, 51mm telephoto photographic camera with f/2.iv discontinuity, 2x optical zoom and OIS, and a 16-megapixel, 13mm ultra-wide shooter with f/ii.two discontinuity and a 110-caste field of view.

The front-facing camera, meanwhile, is a 12-megapixel, 24mm unit with f/2.0 aperture and dual-LED flash.

In that location's more ability under the hood, too, thanks to the inclusion of Qualcomm'southward Snapdragon 888 5G SoC. The fleck is accompanied by 8GB of LPDDR5 retention and your pick of 128GB, 256GB or 512GB of local storage. In that location's no SD expansion port, so you'll want to make sure and go a model with plenty capacity to see your needs, especially if you aren't hip to the thought of using cloud storage.

Other noteworthy civilities include a fingerprint reader with enterprise-course security, USB-C 3.2 Gen two connectivity, stereo speakers, dual-band Wi-Fi 6 wireless connectivity, Bluetooth v.ane and NFC. The phone does utilize magnets, and Microsoft warns that you'll desire to exist careful using it around objects like credit cards or parking passes that are sensitive to them.

Microsoft made no mention of water resistance, and so you lot'll likely want to exist careful when using the Surface Duo 2 near liquids.

Battery life is rated at up to 15.5 hours of local video playback, or up to 28 hours of talk fourth dimension, from the 4449mAh dual battery. It'south likewise compatible with fast charging using the Surface 23W USB-C Power Supply, but Microsoft didn't say how rapidly it can recharge.

The Surface Duo 2 is offered in white or black color schemes and comes backed by a i-year warranty. It's available to pre-order in select markets from today, starting at $1,499.99 with 128GB of RAM and scaling upwards to $1,799.99 for the 512GB model. Await for it to launch on Oct twenty, 2022.