A future of foldable smartphones has always been faintly visible on the horizon, with companies teasing us with inspiring possibilities—but they never quite got it just right enough to enter the mainstream market.
The Surface Duo Did Alright
The first Surface Duo runs on customized Android with certain key apps receiving special optimization for dual-screen functionality (Microsoft apps, Spotify, and a few others). However, it suffered from serious bugs, lagginess, and general instability. Microsoft wants to fix all that with the Surface Duo 2.
Apart form better software, the new foldable phone is also said to have a faster processor, improved camera, and 5G capability.
Surface Duo 2’s Revolutionary Hinge Will Be Even Better
A computing device includes a first part (102) and a second part (104) which are rotatable relative to one another about a hinge. A bumper (112) is located between the hinge and the first section. The bumper contains an impact-resistant material. The impact resistant material absorbs part or all of the force of an impact between a hinge body and the first section.
It sounds like we’ve got an even sturdier drop-proof hinge coming, and maybe it won’t experience the catching hinge issues many owners of the first model reported.
The revolutionary 360-degree mechanical hinge of the Surface Duo is what made Microsoft’s foldable phone so popular in the first place, although it certainly needed work on its durability. Now, if both the hardware and software problems which kept customer confidence low are taken care of (and the obscene $1400 price lowered, perhaps), a new-and-improved Surface Duo 2 could certainly take off.
Currently running by the codename “Zeta,” the Surface Duo 2 could well be surfacing as soon as this fall. Although it will likely be only available in the U.S. for the first few months, like the first one (sorry, Europe and Canada).
Since Microsoft plans have proved volatile in the past—with the first Surface Duo being announced way back in 2019 but taking its sweet time—we have to take these rumors with a grain of salt. But who knows: we’ve got a sizeable mix of foldable phones coming this year, and Microsoft may just want to stay in the competition.
Foldable phones to look forward to in 2021:
Oppo X rollable phone (maybe)
