[scsnow156]

Pretty sure my Lumia 950XL is the last of it's kind to be on the critical endangered list. Every year anticipating hopefully the announcement of a new Windows Mobile device. So it is with a sincere level of excitement the Duo announce has been received. It makes good sense to utilize Android with the robust play store already in place. the device looks amazing and will release in time for xCloud release. MS is calculated and in the hardware game in a big way. Great Show!!

[nate0]

Ya, I am a bit excited for this. Even though it is Android...only a matter of time before they drop a version of the SQ1 chip in a device like this I hope.

[onysi]

So all of those annoying Andromeda articles from Jason Ward finally came thru.
https://www.windowscentral.com/search/andromeda

im so pumped for this phone. even if its not powered by windows 10, this thing is jsut amazing and blows the samsung out of the water. Just need to ensure the battery is 10-12hrs and its not exclusive to at&t. eeek

[MrGoodSmith]

The absence of a main camera might be a tough barrier for people to think of Duo as a mobile and consider it as their daily driver. But as Panos said they still haven't finalized the design yet. More specs are still to be learned like battery and supported carriers.

I'm surprised but not disappointed that they decided to run Android on the Surface Phone. I already decided to switch to Android One myself but still waiting for the best Nokia to replace my 6 years old Lumia 1520 which I'm still using.

[nate0]

They put an awesome front facing snapper in there and it won't matter. Just flip it around and take photos.

[slbailey1]

How will the camera work with Google Pay and Walmart Pay?

[eshropshire]

So all of those annoying Andromeda articles from Jason Ward finally came thru.
https://www.windowscentral.com/search/andromeda

im so pumped for this phone. even if its not powered by windows 10, this thing is jsut amazing and blows the samsung out of the water. Just need to ensure the battery is 10-12hrs and its not exclusive to at&t. eeek

This is not Andromeda in any shape or form. The whole point of Andromeda was a single foldable screen running Windows. Duo is a two screen device, nice but something that has been tried before. Hopefully Android 11 will have better support to make the concept work better. Lots can happen to the final design over the next 13+ months.

[agd87]

I'm definitely excited about this. I should start saving my money from now. I think going with Android is a good idea, if successful it could push developers to port their apps onto the Surface Neo.

[xchaser]

Hey check out Marques Brownlee's video. there is a black version of the Duo and it shows a Circle where a suppose camer would fit.

[MrGoodSmith]

They put an awesome front facing snapper in there and it won't matter. Just flip it around and take photos.

They better put an exceptional camera there. If Surface is really about creativity and staying in the flow while capturing the moment, as they say, its not just about painting and music. Photography should be a big part of the plan.

[davidewart]

Hey check out Marques Brownlee's video. there is a black version of the Duo and it shows a Circle where a suppose camer would fit.

Yes, an interesting circle not on the white versions. Glimpsed at 5:07 into the video

[davidewart]

They better put an exceptional camera there. If Surface is really about creativity and staying in the flow while capturing the moment, as they say, its not just about painting and music. Photography should be a big part of the plan.

I agree. Everyone uses their phone as a camera. And given the price tag that this device is going to have, it better also have cameras - front and rear - to match.

[Jamie Brahm]

I love the look of this, and looks cheaper and more robust than the fold.

About rear camera - I'm not really sure there's much point. You have to open in anyway to get to the screen. Opening it partway, versus all the way, isn't much of a difference. I guess, yeah a rear camera with the usual features would be nice - but given how thin it is, and how camera's often have protrusions, it could be a design issue.

[etphoto]

Sad it's not Windows but the more I think about it I think MS is going the right thing. I currently have a Galaxy 8 and if the Duo will work on Verizon it will be my next phone.

[Adventurer64]

Sad that MS is building on Android platform. I have mixed feelings about this since I generally despise Google and am not a big fan of bloated Android. After just moving from a 950XL to Android out of necessity, I'm hoping MS does a good job of stripping Google from the DUO or at least allow Google apps to be uninstalled completely. A launcher that resembles Win 10 would be nice. I currently use MS Launcher and its OK, but not as good as W10M IMO. The split screen on my V40 works well enough, but I never use it because the two screens aren't big enough and using keyboard in split screen mode just wrecks the split screen functionality. Dual screen should fix this problem. Inking is even better. I'm all in if MS can make this work well with minimal Google bloat and with an exceptional camera.

[Dave47]

I wonder about the battery in the Duo. The device is said to *very* thin, so how does one squeeze a decent capacity battery in such a small space. Stay tuned. We gotta a year to wait.

[Drael646464]

I wonder about the battery in the Duo. The device is said to *very* thin, so how does one squeeze a decent capacity battery in such a small space. Stay tuned. We gotta a year to wait.

The SoC should fit entirely in one side. So that should leave room for a battery in the other.

[Ryujingt3]

Hopefully this will be my next phone, whenever the Duo gets released where I am. The Surface phone is now real.

[nate0]

I love the look of this, and looks cheaper and more robust than the fold.

You notice how they never talked price yet. Yes it is a year out almost but...If this drops some time in 2020, with only minor changes and an older SoC which I actually kinda hope they do (Since Android specs are trivial), they should undercut all other fordable phones on that point.

[nate0]

I wonder about the battery in the Duo. The device is said to *very* thin, so how does one squeeze a decent capacity battery in such a small space. Stay tuned. We gotta a year to wait.

Batteries can be very thin too, of course they need room to expand and contract, but around 5mm is enough. Most phones are almost 7mm thick nowadays and have room for a longer thicker battery. The Lumia 950xl battery is a medium sized one and is quite thin, maybe 2-3mm. It is very possible for a larger battery in this or a couple of them.

[camaroz1985]

I'm glad they showed it now coming the end of 2020 so I can start saving my pennies. I think with this and the Neo, I could be spending a lot of money.

[Jackie Earley]

I'm hoping MS does a good job of stripping Google from the DUO or at least allow Google apps to be uninstalled completely. A launcher that resembles Win 10 would be nice. I currently use MS Launcher and its OK, but not as good as W10M IMO. I'm all in if MS can make this work well with minimal Google bloat and with an exceptional camera.

I would assume that allowing Google apps to be removed is going to happen. Remember, Microsoft wants you to use their services instead of Google's despite using their operating system. I would like to think they are going to either shove all Google apps that are required at a minimum to have the Play Store into a folder that will probably be located in the all apps page and by default everything they have will be defaulted in Microsoft Launcher.

While Neo will most likely have a camera similar to what launch in their other Surface devices, that camera hole in the prototype was fairly large. So I would assume they know that if they want to do right by their fans, to include a Lumia quality camera into it. Considering the thinness of the device I sure hope they can manage to not have a camera bump as folding it with that will not be good.

[mtf1380]

I literally had a tear come to my eye when Panos introduced the Duo (no joke! left eye...right side stayed macho:).

I would think that at this early stage - and the release date so far out - Microsoft will keep A LOT of the 'treasured features' close to the vest, to keep the competition guessing...but, I would bet that they will have a base price that is very, very reasonable, going all the way to too much for the average consumer. I cannot imagine that one of those treasured features won't include a great camera.

I don't remember hearing anything with regards to inking (or a pen), did I miss something? after all my vision was blurred...hehe!

[TechFreak1]

@xchaser cheers for the video, watched it and he missed one element that Panos Panay mentioned that the pen recharges whilst attached to the Surface Neo. Unless that was a feature that was added after Marque's visit therefore that miss is totally understandable.

Also Microsoft can easily add two batteries on each side of the screen, this allows for higher total capacity whilst reducing the size of each battery in terms of thickness thus enabling for a thinner and lighter device whilst maintaining uniform weight distribution.

Lastly, I imagine it would be android emulation within a sandbox because native android introduces two extremely critical failure points.

1)Introduction of android based malware into the windows ecosystem along with android based zero day exploits.

2)Decimates any incentive for developers to develop a Universal Windows App, as after all if you can create one android app and get access two ecosystems - both Android and Windows.

Why would you bother developing a UWA?

Personally, I'm pumped about the Duo - there is an entire year until release of the Duo so things will change as a year in the technosphere is an extremely long time.

Edit: According to Jez, the Duo runs purely Android.... now if you excuse me.. I'm going to find a well and shout obscene words down the well until my voice goes.

[nate0]

@xchaser cheers for the video, watched it and he missed one element that Panos Panay mentioned that the pen recharges whilst attached to the Surface Neo. Unless that was a feature that was added after Marque's visit therefore that miss is totally understandable.

Also Microsoft can easily add two batteries on each side of the screen, this allows for higher total capacity whilst reducing the size of each battery in terms of thickness thus enabling for a thinner and lighter device whilst maintaining uniform weight distribution.

Lastly, I imagine it would be android emulation within a sandbox because native android introduces two extremely critical failure points.

1)Introduction of android based malware into the windows ecosystem along with android based zero day exploits.

2)Decimates any incentive for developers to develop a Universal Windows App, as after all if you can create one android app and get access two ecosystems - both Android and Windows.

Why would you bother developing a UWA?

Personally, I'm pumped about the Duo - there is an entire year until release of the Duo so things will change as a year in the technosphere is an extremely long time.

Edit: According to Jez, the Duo runs purely Android.... now if you excuse me.. I'm going to find a well and shout obscene words down the well until my voice goes.

I feel ya man... I'm still partially boggled why they won't release an identical device to the DUO running WoA or WCOS. The Neo is pretty close, just too big and we're not told it's a cellular device... What do they really have to prove by releasing an android one or what are they really after? I'm not against it I'm just wanting them to embrace their own ability to build a mobile device with Windows as well as one with Android. They just seem to want to avoid that avenue still. Or maybe they still are not ready?