Microsoft Surface Duo 256GB (Unlocked) - Glacier

I have been looking at the Surface Duo since it came out, and have been disappointed in the final product based on the reviews. However, I have believed that the basic premise - that dual screens was better than one large screen - was correct, but unsure if this concept (which we accept for PCs) was still valid for phones. As the prices fell, I decided to test this concept out. I purchased this phone through Amazon about 3 weeks ago, and paid AUS$1000 for the device and expedited delivery. The device arrived to regional Australia within 7 days of ordering (a week earlier than the "expected" delivery date) so hats off to Amazon and UPS for the service. The device is even better in real life than any image or video can convey. Engineering alone, this rivals anything Apple has done in the last 5 years, and something that one would expect from Steve Jobs. Beautifully balanced, it is a device that you will WANT to pick up and open on a regular basis. Hardware-wise, you cannot complain. Even the large bezel on the inside are something you just accept because it is such a beautiful device. I have had no issues with the response of the device and it "feels" as quick as my wife's Galaxy S20. Folded, it is as slim as the S20, and the glass back and front give it a good heft, without feeling heavy. After a number (4 or 5) updates I was able to start using the device. I set up a few "grouped" applications, and have found I have been adding a new application group every few days as I get used to using it. I will say now that I still maintain my current phone as my main device (Motorola Razr - yeah I know, a very small phone) and keep the Surface as my productivity device. And this is the important point. Microsoft (in my opinion) was right not to market this as a phone. I could not see myself as using it to make phone calls. But I can see myself (and do) making MS Teams calls; making Skype calls; replying to emails on the go; and using it as a media consumption device. My company uses MS Intune for security, and my work laptop is connected to a hub setup at home with dual monitors. To be able to replicate that when I need to pop out, or when I stretch my legs outside, is awesome. Could I see myself using something like the Galaxy Fold the same way? Actually, no. The OS is smooth, and I have had no issues with the gestures. I have even been able to use the camera to take photos quickly - something that requires you to understand what the accelerometers are trying to do. There is a noticeable delay when using it in low light, so if this is important you should consider this. Will I ditch the current phone and keep the Duo as my primary device? No, but only because I like a small phone and I don't rely on my phone for a lot of media consumption (although I do use it when I go for a run so I can listen to music). But the Duo is so amazing when it comes to doing the things I would need to carry a laptop for that I am more than happy to consciously take it with me when I need that functionality. My advice - if you need to regularly be in front of a computer, but want to be mobile, then you need to get yourself a Duo. Don't think it will replace your phone - think of it as a productivity device. If you use a dual screen setup for your PC then the Duo will make sense. UPDATE 21 Oct 21 Okay. So I've been using the Duo now for a couple of months, and I have to confess I use it even more than when I first got it. My Motorola razr is still my phone, but apart from Maki g calls and coming on runs and rides with me, it is not my go to device. I have started using the Kindle app more and more; I have a number of newspaper apps that I use; and the convenience of having ready access to work emails (not to mention the Teams chats, calls, and files) means I can feel more assured of keeping connected when I step away from the home office. Battery life is great. I have been really impressed by the video and sound quality of Ms Teams calls, and the second screen makes it very easy to chat in a meeting as well as have the relevant documents open. I've kept my eye on the SD2 but the extra bulk and camera bump really don't appeal. I've appreciated the fact the screen real-estate is beteer, but I'd rather the super slim version I have now. Occasionally I go back to my phone to open a website or document, and realise it just doesn't compete. With the promise of Android 11 I'd recommend this (based on price) over the newer version. I originally went with four stars., but I've upped it now to five stars. Overall, it remains one of my favourite computing devices.

This is a phenomenally terrific piece of work by Microsoft - but only for the right user. It's not for everybody. It is for people who need it's big productivity advantage: the ability to run a separate program on each of it's two screens. For example, I use mine to do a Teams or Zoom meeting on one side, and take notes in OneNote on the other. And I can do that anywhere - while traveling, on a plane, on my back porch, in my office, etc. This alone makes it worth it's price. And what's a couple of extra hundred dollars when you are trying to keep track of difficult and highly fluid situations? I'm an analyst, responsible for a very complicated system that I am learning from scratch, so I have to take a lot of notes as well as search thru them (OneNote is ideal for that!). And of course all of my email, cloud and other data is synch'd onto my laptop and tablets. I can also see how useful this would be for a sales type, where for example Salesforce would run on one side and your OneNote notes about the account on the other so that you have that reference information while working on an account. Just incredible. And we can't always be in front of our laptops or desktops... so the ability to look up information *and* take notes about it at the same time on your mobile device is invaluable. I run into a few people who point out the high price... well, look around. That phone your teen daughter spent hours in line for so that she could have the phone her friends have can be just as expensive. The wave of Android devices with folding flexible screens (which are notoriously fragile and will be for many years) is just as much. The Surface Duo, with Microsoft's uniquely brilliant dual screens and hinge, is far more durable. Kudos to Microsoft for this tremendous creativity. Some call this type of product, a first release, a "version 1" product and avoid those first releases. Well, again, how much is your productivity worth? I've been in sales deals with hundreds of thousands or more where having access to information continuously or at a critical moment makes or breaks the deal. Again, that alone makes this worthwhile. I also use Gaia on hikes, and use the GPS function to track hikes live and it hasn't missed a beat. The other screen I use for any notes, and also for photos. It's hinge has been completely durable, although of course like any other phone it's not waterproof or crush proof for hikes. What could be better? This has a camera, it works well enough, but it's not a leading edge camera And there are not front and back cameras, only 1 - however the screens fold around 360 degrees (it's understood that the next version has 2 cameras). And the software to enable dual screens is all new (which Microsoft has made available for other manufacturer's Android devices) so there is the occasional clumsiness in some software. That is being actively addressed and hasn't held me back. Again, the advantages of this phone are absolutely unique. Take advantage of them and win the battle for productivity! Size: The two pics show my Surface Duo against the phone it replaced: a Galaxy Note 10+. The Note 10+ was thought of as "huge" when it came out... it took up a lot of space but it looks larger than the Surface Duo. Think of putting this in your side pocket. I hold each of these differently in my hand... and the Duo either closed, folded open, or at an angle like a book. And I often leave the Surface Duo standing partially open on my desk for convenience. My background: I've had lots of smartphones with different operating systems, and I've always looked for productivity gains above and beyond just making calls! I'm hard on them, and I have high expectations. This phone is the very first new thinking in many many years. Thank you, Microsoft!

A true LOVE - HATE relationship. As it comes to the design and the creativity that was put into this device, it is truly a fantastic device. Premium feel, super thin. I think it is simply gorgeous. As it comes to useability though there are still a LOT of issues that either you ACCEPT or get TIRED of. Positives: Design, wow factor - this thing makes me feel (long time Apple / iPhone user) like the first iPhone. People are curious about this device. It is unusual. Using the dual screen is amaizing. Screen quality is gorgeous. Typing is not too bad, or even comfy sometimes. Negatives: Even MS’s own Surface Earbuds struggle to instantly connect to the device and even worse, to disconnect sometimes when they are not in use resulting in the draining of the battery. Call quality through the buds sometimes leaves a lot to be desired. The software is still quite buggy but much more usable then at the time of launch. Taking a photo with this phone is a pure mess. Waiting for the right screen to activate which either works or not is a gamble. As it comes to your privacy, should you not want to jump all in and let Google record every bit of your voice input, the assistant will only work in a limited way, hardly understanding what you want. Eg. “Open / Launch Tidal”, instead of opening the app the assistant opens the website. It misunderstands oftenly even very precise instructions. I for one gave up an iPhone 12 Pro Max for this device (at least for a couple of weeks). To simply put the experience: with Apple and iOS things work FLAWLESSLY 99% of the time. With the Duo it is truly a gamble. This really reminds me my decade long experience using Windows until 2005. I found it to be “fun” to always having the challange of constantly needing to fix things to make everything just work, or improve slightly. Ever since 2005 though, when I have purchased a gorgeous 12” Powerbook, things were just WORKING and I have learned to enjoy things that were "just working" and carefully crafted to near perfection. Still, there is something about this phone that makes me crave it constantly. So all and all do I recommend this device: overall YES because it is unique and simoly feels good. BUT only if you are OK putting up with constant issues. If you just want a device that works, buy into the Apple and iOS ecosystem. Nice try though Microsoft, you ALMOST made me convert! Update: A lot of things have improved during the past few month, especially ever since Andorid 11 is FINALLY out for the original Surface Duo. During the past few months I have switched back and forth between a good / trusted little iPhone 12 Mini and the Surface Duo. The iPhone was 99% reliable, while the Duo somehow always managed to get my attention back. They were switched every one or two month either being the main or the secondary device. So ever since the fall updates a lot of things have improved, usability, bluetooth connectivity, etc. I just recently sold off the iPhone and now with Android 11 finally running on the Duo this is my daily driver and I am starting to like it even more, even after several month of usage. It is still a very unique device, still a head turner, especially in Europe. One again a love and hate relationship that started to lean towards the love side, however there is still quite a bit to be desired, good improvements though… If you can get it for a good price, GO for it, you are not going to regret it.

I don't swap phones and devices all the time. Once I settle into a device, I like to hold on to it and make large upgrades. The device I was replacing was a Samsung Galaxy 7 Edge. It was really showing it's age. So, I looked at everything. I am a bit bored of slate phones so I didn't limit myself. Razr, Flip Z, One Plus, Samsung S21 Ultra - I looked at a ton of phones. The market is a bit odd right now with new phones coming soon and shortages. I might have gone for the S21 Ultra note if it was out yet. I had pretty much written off the Surface Duo after reading reviews and seeing it was priced around $1400. However, the price was cut in half and the OS was patched. I have always been a Microsoft tech guy using Word, Excel, OneNote, Exchange/Outlook. I was intrigued. I have been using the Surface I bought unlocked and added to Verizon with a free SIM card from the provider for a few days now. The bottom line for me? It's a game changer. I have fallen in love with the device. The camera isn't all that great. It's not even 5G. No wireless charger. Not a great batter life. Sounds terrible! But, for me it's all worth it. It's elegant. The hardware is superb. It's eye catching. People ask about it. It's an odd/combo between Google and MS. You get both sets of apps. But, when you get it setup with your own style of shortcuts, widgets, screens, settings - it's amazing. The ability to use multiple applications on independent screens is so sweet. Maps on the left, browser on the right. Outlook e-mail on the left, calendar on the right. The 1 click to launch favorite app combos is incredibly powerful. The multiple ways to use it are amazing. One of my favorite is to bend it in half like a little laptop. Messages is on the top and at the bottom a large keyboard can be used with both thumbs. It is so fast to have that config. I paired it with some Jabra 85t elites. They work perfectly. There is so much to discover. The news application that flips pages and stories like a book reader is sweet. I haven't even started to install apps like RetroArch but apparently it is a awesome little gaming device when you get it setup like that. I installed the XBOX app. Everything is snappy and responsive. I love the Outlook application. I was able to add in 4 different e-mail accounts including our corporate exchange server in almost no time. Having my standard outlook calendar is so nice on this device. I am very excited that this opportunity presented itself. I would probably never have pulled the trigger if the price wouldn't have been lowered. And I would have missed out. I think it would have been worth it for the multi-tasking and flexibility. I am really looking forward to seeing if they roll in everything they have learned into a new Duo2. I would upgrade.

So I'll attempt to keep this sweet and to the point. It works 👍 Like works really well! Is this the perfect device or the Apple 📱killer, nope. But, it's an android game changer. I purchased this because I seen the price drop compared to Best Buys price. I received within in a week, took it to Verizon, got a sim card, and even received a Verizon promotion for a $400 instore gift card 🙌🏽💫 So I basically got this for a lot less. I'll use that to pay a bill and a half. Call quality is decent, not the greatest. I used it on speaker one time. I do however get strong signal. 4G. Screen quality is really really crisp. I prefer it over my iPhone 12 pro max. This thing is fast with computing needs. The double screens is great for multiple uses at one time. To be honest, I don't have a good reason why I got it. I just did. The camera quality is decent enough for a point and shoot but I use snapchat and filters to make up for some of it. The real steal is its potential. The updates make it better and better. We've already had one here in May. That's what your goj g to be paying for, potential. If they release another I e that addresses a lot of the issues this one had and has, I'll buy it happily. I love having an android with playstore market. The apps are more useful. I hope in the future they have a double speaker on the next. That'd be a nice touch 🔊🔊 For now this is just a fun piece of hardware. I wish I did more things on my Dell so I could sync the two but truthfully, I don't. Ps: This is a sizeable device, get a leather sleeve for it and screen protector.

First off, I am a Softy, as in a Microsoft fan boy. Work on Windows Machines and write MS .Net software for a living. I am one of the few people that owned the last Windows 8.1 phone and love it. Although everyone I know had one love the operating system (there just wasn’t any apps). I have seen reviews stating a lot of my issues with the original Surface Duo phone were fixed in the second version. The biggest issue with the Surface Duo is durability. I purchased mine in January of 2023. It’s now October of 2023 and my Surface Duo is not in good space. My experience with durability in a 9-month period: • The thin rubber stick on bummer that came with the phone lasted maybe 30 days. I tried to use two-sided tape to extend my phone’s life a bit. A couple trips in and out of a pocket and the end starts coming undone. I decided rather than spending $30 on a replacement each month I am just going to get a new phone in a year. • About 4 months after the thin top was demolished, and the first drop after that the exterior case had a growing set of spider cracks. Despite the spider cracks the phone worked fine, but one day picking up the phone and received a plastic splinter in my thumb. This was much more painful than a wood splinter and it broke apart as I tried to pull it out, so I had to slice it out. • I printed out a sticker to cover the top of the phone. If I was going to buy another one of these I would at a minimum wrap it in contact paper the day I opened it. • The plastic around my USB charging port has all cracked and broken away. I expect the USB port will just bust out soon. Other complaints: • As others have stated by itself it’s not great for making phone calls. This doesn’t bother me much I just use speaker phone, or a Bluetooth device and problem solved. • The original Surface Duo is terrible for taking pictures. I basically avoid taking pictures on my phone now. (It would be great for video conference and selfies, but that’s not my thing.) Things I love about this phone. • I love texting on this phone. Having an entire screen as a keyboard is revolutionary. • The Surface Duo provides a better experience browsing the internet than any phone I have ever owned. • The Surface Duo is amazing for watching videos. • The folding two screen makes a great stand for use with google maps, movies, or whatever. • Dual Screens are awesome! Bottom Line: I will not recommend or buy another the Surface Duo, but I might buy a Surface Duo 2. If it's half the price of a Samsung Fold, otherwise I will probably try the Fold.

Despite some drawbacks (mediocre camera, mediocre typing recognition, some glitches when folding and using one side of the Duo), I really loved it. As a productivity tool, I got rid of my Note and tablet. Then, after less than 4 months of use, the screen cracked. It runs from the bottom of the left screen by the hinge all the way to the middle outside left edge. Never dropped, stepped on, sat on...The only conceivable answer is that it happened from carrying it in my front pant pocket which is a total lack of quality. Microsoft won't chat about it and you can't call them. For a cracked screen, it doesn't matter, your only choice is to pay for a replacement phone. I've had so many Microsoft products over the years and will never buy another after this experience.

Sure it's a bit pricey but it's a high quality phone. It's snappy and responsive, gets great battery life, and the Google + Windows service integration is great if you're like me and use your Microsoft account and applications for everything productivity-related. The dual-screen setup might seem like just a gimmick, but wow the convenience and multitasking capabilities truly can't even be compared to a regular phone; the Duo is just on a completely different level. Every once in a while I'll fold the screens back to just use one and it will display on the wrong side, but a quick lock and unlock fixes it right away. That's honestly the only complaint I have and it's more of a nitpick than anything.

Nice

Nice phone for productivity. Feels like a book can run two apps simultaneously.

I was not sure when I placed the order. I wanted to have something which is pocketable, had two separate screens, and I can use as a e-book reader, also for emails, google, YouTube etc. the surface Dou is a prefect solution, very well built, beautiful. I already own an iPhone 14 pro and a Samsung foldable 3, I won’t use the surface Dou as my default phone, but as a working station, it’s prefect for business.

Premium quality with fair price .. the best practical folded mobile I have ever used .. better than my Samsung Z fold

新品ではなくジャンク品で、本体とパッケージのシリアルナンバーが違いました。パンパーも箱のみで中身が入っていませんでした。