14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft launched the Surface Duo with much fanfare earlier this year, marking the company’s big debut in the Android phone market.
Needless to say, Microsoft’s huge bet this time is the dual-screen form factor, which the company hopes would help spearhead its mobile push in the Android ecosystem, despite other companies, such as Samsung, also investing in new-generation ideas like foldable phones.
“Surface Duo is the first Surface to fit in your pocket. Surface Duo brings together the best of Microsoft productivity experiences, Android apps and Surface hardware design into a single device you can take anywhere. And, yes, it makes phone calls. It has two paper-thin 5.6-inch screens that unfold to 8.3 inches, and just like Surface Neo, it can be used in a variety of modes to let you work the way you’d like,” Microsoft said in late 2019 when it officially announced the Surface Duo.
The device eventually went live a few months ago, earlier than anticipated, with Microsoft explaining that it wasn’t trying to reinvent the phone.
“Today, as we look ahead to the next wave of mobile productivity and creativity, we see that same opportunity to create something new with Surface Duo – not to reinvent the phone, but to inspire people to rethink how they want to use the device in their pocket. Available for preorder in the U.S. starting today, Surface Duo brings together the power of Microsoft 365 experiences and the full ecosystem of Android mobile apps into one device, with two screens that you can take anywhere,” Panos Panay, Chief Product Officer, Windows + Devices, said.
However, the Surface Duo was exclusively launched in the United States, with no other markets getting it, with the company said to be looking into a possible expansion to other regions in early 2021.
And now, it’s believed the company has already decided where the Surface Duo should launch next, with Germany to receive it in the spring of 2021. But is it really worth releasing the Duo in other markets?
It’s not a secret the Surface Duo comes with a previous-generation processor and specs that leave a lot to be desired, especially at this price point. The Surface Duo is a premium device, and the price customers must pay should guarantee only the best in terms of hardware.
And yet, Microsoft still has a lot of work to do in this regard, and it’s believed the second-generation Surface Duo would address all these hardware shortcomings.
And to answer the question above, it’s very clear the Duo must make its way to other countries too. And it’s all because of its purpose. As Panos said, the Surface Duo isn’t trying to reinvent the phone but to actually provide users with a way to remain productive. This is something that Microsoft has insisted on in the last few years, so this strategy is expanded to mobile devices with the Surface Duo.
“We designed Surface Duo for people who want to get more done with the device in their pocket. Our internal research shows that three out of four people report struggling to complete complex tasks while away from their computer. That’s because smartphones with a single screen aren’t designed for you to easily do multiple things at once. Think about it. You continually have to switch between apps to get even the most essential things done – breaking focus, breaking flow,” Microsoft explains.
Needless to say, Microsoft has remained completely tight-lipped on these plans to launch the Surface Duo in international markets, so for now, we should just take this information with a pinch of salt.