Microsoft is said to have released the Surface Duo 2 for September or October of this year. Leaks around the foldable smartphone are not completely new, but with a current report they are getting new food. This time the Surface Duo 2 will be launched with the latest hardware and more features.
A video that is supposed to show photos of the Surface Duo 2 has been circulating on Tech Rat's YouTube channel since the end of June. It is still unclear where the images come from, but the usually well-informed Windows Central site today confirmed their authenticity in a report by Zac Bowden. Bowden is considered an accurate source for topics related to Microsoft. According to the report, the release is planned for September or October, around a year after the 1st generation of the Surface Duo.
Start with this time current hardware
This time, the foldable smartphone will be launched with the latest hardware, after the long development process of the first model already resulted in components that were no longer up-to-date when it was launched. With Snapdragon 855, without 5G and equipped with only one camera, other high-end devices from 2020 were clearly superior to the Surface Duo. The device also lacked elementary features such as NFC for paying with Google Pay. Microsoft wanted to differentiate itself more about the form factor and the software running on it.
The Surface Duo 2, on the other hand, should offer more in all of the areas mentioned. The Snapdragon 888 with 5G support, a triple camera with a clearly protruding module on the back and support for NFC are mentioned. The form factor should be the same over a large area, but the USB Type-C socket should move away from the hinge and centrally to the bottom of the right half. The power button and fingerprint sensor should also merge into one unit. In terms of color selection, there should be a black model in addition to the well-known light gray.
There is hardly any information about the display, but somewhat thinner display bezels and thus a little more screen area are mentioned as changes. On the whole, however, significant adjustments such as frameless panels are not to be expected in this area. The basic structure with two panels, which are divided by the gap in the hinge, will not change with the Surface Duo 2.
Surface Duo still very expensive
The potential pricing also remains unknown. In Germany, Microsoft continues to sell the first Surface Duo at a price of 1,549 euros for the 128 GB model and 1,649 euros with 256 GB of storage. The price has not changed since the market launch in February. Microsoft is proceeding completely differently in the USA. The small configuration there now only costs 650 US dollars, the large version 700 US dollars before taxes. Windows Central raises the question of whether Microsoft will set the price of the Surface Duo 2 higher because the equipment is more extensive. However, certain features are likely to fall below the expected progress of the development and not be reflected in the price.