Why I am excited about the Surface Duo
As a hardcore Windows phone fan, I was let down when I saw the windows phone market-share plunge from 3.6% in 2013 to a mere 0.3% in 2016. Microsoft bought Nokia’s smartphone division, intended to get the windows phone OS in everybody’s pocket, but it became a “glorious failure” as I recall a headline from The Verge. Nonetheless, there has been one thing that has kept me enthusiastic for the last two years, and that has been the rumored Surface Phone.
Last week, Microsoft announced a new line-up of surface devices at its Blockbuster Surface Event in New York City. As good as the new iteration of Surface devices look, it was the “One More Thing” moment that has it everyone talking about. Unexpectedly, Microsoft finally announced a Surface phone. The dual 5.6-inch displays that make it an overall 8.3-inch screen will be running Google’s Android to everyone’s surprise – the latter being surprising but an intelligent move from Microsoft’s point of view. Microsoft wants to meet its customers where they are. I think running Android on this device makes sense because Android has hundreds of thousands of apps. Microsoft knows it very well that mobile applications are not going anywhere any time soon.
I see this device as more than a phone. It is not the first time that a company has announced a dual-screen phone. Samsung and Huawei have tried unsuccessfully before. However, what makes the Surface Duo stand out is the company’s ambition to introduce a new class of devices just how it did with Surface Pro. Building up to this, Microsoft has been experimenting with launching great apps on Android and iOS platforms in the likes of Office, Edge, and Outlook. We have also seen its custom launcher on Android. So this has been quite evident that Microsoft cares about enabling technology for everybody by offering its services and products on multi-platforms.
The Duo is a Surface device to its core. It aims to pave the path for the market to adapt to yet another Surface. Microsoft has partnered with Google and will be building a custom skin on top of Android that would make this device a class of its own. The integration of software and hardware makes the Duo an appealing device for not only surface enthusiasts but the business professionals and people who want to be productive on the go. It will be interesting to see how it lines up with the competition when it is released next year though.
Lumia phones of yesteryear still boost some of the best cameras on the market, so I am eager about Duo’s camera. The legacy of the Pureview Lumia camera is still evident. Microsoft did not mention the camera’s specs but I am confident the Surface team has all the capabilities to rival the top smartphone cameras on the market.
Microsoft said the Duo would be on shelves next year’s holiday season. They didn’t announce the specs, but it will most probably be running the then-latest Snapdragons 865, which is yet to be announced. I cannot wait to have my hands on the Duo when it is released next year. We will see in the coming months what developers can do when Microsoft releases an API for developers to make great use of its dual-screen. Windows Phone failed because it did not have the apps the customer wanted. With Surface Duo, the stacks are too high. But this time, Microsoft’s attempt for a phone looks elegant, futuristic, and revolutionary in the true senses.