![]() Microsoft isn’t doing itself any favors by kneecapping Duo at the starting block, which I fear may hurt its successors, too. And the price tag would have even been easier to swallow. That way, the Duo would not have been set up for failure. Microsoft could have pushed back the Duo to include the latest chips, multiple cameras, 5G, and Wi-Fi 6, and to ensure some much-needed retail presence. If there’s any year where a postponement is forgivable, it’s 2020. And yet, if Microsoft postponed the Neo, instead of pushing the Duo out early (it was originally timed for a holiday release), maybe it should have delayed Duo, too. It’s great that this time, Microsoft feels comfortable enough to launch a dual-screen device. After all, Microsoft has been on the dual-screen adventure before with its Courier project almost a decade ago - which it killed off because the device wasn’t up to snuff. But two screens also raises questions around thickness, weight, performance, price, and battery life. ![]() Two screens means more potential productivity, efficiency, and maybe even some fun games, sure. Last year, following the unveiling of the Surface Duo and Surface Neo (now delayed till 2021), I wrote: But I think the jury is still out on the whole foldables category. I’m excited about dual-screen devices, maybe even more so than folding single-screen devices. But all together during a recession? It’s not looking good. Plenty of category-defining devices launched with an eye-watering price tag or unimpressive specs or in a single country. None of these missteps on their own are enough to doom a device. What’s the use of a category-defining product that you can’t even try or buy? Questionable timing Even Microsoft’s Kin phones from a decade ago were slated to launch outside the U.S. It’s even harder to do if you can’t even buy it in your country. It’s pretty hard to try out a new category-defining device if you can’t hold it in your hands. Furthermore, many carrier and electronic stores are still closed, especially in the U.S. This is the year we also saw Microsoft permanently close all its physical retail stores. But that itself is part of another problem. The 35-minute press demo certainly feels like Microsoft wants users to figure that part out. 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.Īnd maybe the lack of a clear value proposition is OK if you’re trying to create a new device category. Microsoft’s pitch boils down to what every other foldable device maker claims - that their latest device isn’t just another phone: If you’re going to spend at least $1,400 on a phone, especially during a pandemic-induced recession, it better offer something truly unique. Specification missteps aside, Microsoft has not articulated what problem the Duo is attempting to solve. What’s the point of guaranteeing Android updates for three years on hardware that is outdated out of the box? Questionable value proposition The Duo ships with a single camera (even Google conceded one smartphone camera was inadequate). It’s not just processing speed and battery life that Microsoft is skipping out on by using old hardware. It’s hard to imagine someone carrying around a Duo and a second smartphone (although I wouldn’t put it past execs who already carry two phones). It has to be better than whatever is currently in your pocket. You could make the case that such a target market doesn’t care for the latest specs - executives want a device that improves their productivity, regardless of specs.Īnd yet, this is ultimately meant to replace your phone. After all, every time Microsoft has teased the device, it’s one of its executives doing the photo op. Maybe that’s OK, given that the Duo appears to be for business executives. So, with Surface Duo, we didn’t focus our energy on the places the industry is already advancing - processors and networks will get faster, and cameras will get better with or without us. ![]() Never mind that using old chips consistently dooms flagship launches - Microsoft seems happy to use old chips in what is clearly meant to be a flagship device: We knew in October that the Surface Duo was launching with last year’s Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 instead of the Snapdragon 855+ or this year’s Snapdragon 865 or Snapdragon 865+.
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