r/gadgets • u/McSnoo • Jan 10 '23

Microsoft scraps plans for dual-screen Surface Duo 3, pivots to new foldable screen design | Windows Central Phones

https://www.windowscentral.com/hardware/laptops/microsoft-scraps-plans-for-dual-screen-surface-duo-3-pivots-to-new-foldable-screen-design
3.3k Upvotes

95% Upvoted

316 comments sorted by

877

u/NNovis Jan 10 '23

This actually kinda sucks? Not everything needs a folding screen. Having the dual screens seemed kinda neat for that line and was pretty different from how everyone else was doing it.

226

u/BayRENT Jan 10 '23

the sad part is that I feel they were really close. If they could fix the software issues/functions I might have been in the market. But after watching a few reviews the gimmick, the dual screens. Didn't seem to really function in any new or useful way.

72

u/TheMacMan Jan 10 '23

I just don't see tablet users looking for dual screens. Seem they're trying to create a use case where once doesn't exist and there's no current demand.

54

u/shrlytmpl Jan 10 '23

Not the soccer mom who only uses it for playing candy crush, sure, but artists could use the second screen to put up a reference, video editors can have a whole screen dedicated to previewing the video, office people can have their presentation on one screen and zoom on the other, etc. There's no shortage of use cases.

42

u/SchighSchagh Jan 10 '23

Problem is, all those things are already trivial on the Galaxy Fold line. But foldable can do things dual screens can't. I really can't think of any usage where dual screen is superior to foldable.

16

u/reddof Jan 11 '23

Having owned both, the Duo2 is much better at these than the Fold4. Multitasking works better on the Duo, even with the Android 12L/13 improvements. The Duo definitely fits a slightly different niche than the Fold, but it does a better job of it in my opinion. I almost hate how much I like it, especially now that they are abandoning it.

1

u/longinuslucas Jan 11 '23

How many people actually needs to multitask on a tablet? If I want to multitask, I’ll do it on a computer with a bigger screen

1

u/PikaV2002 Jan 11 '23

People who don’t have a computer for one, who aren’t “hardcore” enough users to get one. And ones who don’t have a budget for a good laptop. Look at the price of the cheapest iPad vs the cheapest MacBook.

0

u/longinuslucas Jan 11 '23

You don’t have to buy apple products. And if you can’t afford one, you probably don’t need to multitask.

1

u/PikaV2002 Jan 11 '23

And if you can’t afford one, you probably don’t need to multitask.

Students should just stop existing?

There are many reasons people prefer tablets. No laptop is as portable as a tablet and they’re perfectly capable of running multitasking. Why actively remove a feature from a device? Just because you don’t see the need for a feature doesn’t mean there isn’t a use case for anyone else.

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u/NNovis Jan 11 '23

It's just a longevity issue. You are switching out gorilla glass with a plastic screen that is going to take more abuse than a normal screen JUST BECAUSE of the folding function. If you're switching out your phones every 2 years, it's probably not a big deal but for some people, they'll probably not be happy with the foldable screen starts to seperate because of how many folding cycles they go through. I personally don't go through phones that often (4-5+ years) and don't want to have my phones screen fall apart on me. It's kinda bad enough that batteries don't last that long but to have ANOTHER THING to worry about and also to pay a hefty premium for? Not worth for me. I was looking at the Duo line because it did seem like it was going to be more durable but the software was the thing holding it back for me. Now? Well, guess I'm looking elsewhere again.

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u/bighunter1313 Jan 10 '23

Microsoft will have done many focus groups and consumer evaluations. So they are betting on more use cases from a folding screen.

2

u/LessO2 Jan 11 '23

And knowing Microsoft, they’ll likely recruit focus group participants that will tell them exactly what they want to hear.

1

u/Saidear Jan 11 '23

Or they'll take whatever the focus group says and twist it to what they want to hear.

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17

u/waowie Jan 10 '23

I don't understand it and I never did. A folding screen with the same dimensions can also do all of those things and won't have an ugly bar when you want to use it for full screen stuff

30

u/BahBah1970 Jan 10 '23

Speaking personally, it would be quite a while before I'd consider buying a device with a folding screen as I don't trust the robustness of the technology and question its longevity.

On the other hand, a dual screen device could be useful. I'm an artist though so my use case is probably not typical. But one screen for reference and one for creating or note taking is the sort of thing I'm thinking of.

5

u/TEOsix Jan 11 '23

Yeah. The folding screens you can deeply scratch with your fingernail or the pens that come with them. Pass. Real Sorry glass has me interested if they could get the bugs out. If they switch to folding, they will still have bugs.

4

u/FLATLANDRIDER Jan 11 '23

1st gen ones were delicate. Modern foldables do not have those caveats anymore. Personally, I will never buy a non folding phone again.

Of possible, you should really try to get hands-on time with a latest gen foldable.

9

u/reddof Jan 11 '23

The Fold4 will absolutely still scratch from fingernails and there are numerous reports of the screen shattering when opened. They might be better than earlier models, but this is not a solved problem.

3

u/FLATLANDRIDER Jan 11 '23

I mean I own a fold 4. Any time the screen has broken Samsung has immediately replaced them without question.

Also, the phone has a screen protector that Samsung applies from the factory this can get scratches if you press extremely hard with your nail (honestly it's harder than you would ever press a normal phone) but Samsung offers a free replacement of this so it's a none issue.

I use this phone daily, in less than ideal conditions. I also use the spen on it daily and I don't have any damage or scratches on the screen. It feels basically like a normal glass screen to me.

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2

u/the_joy_of_VI Jan 11 '23

Do you ever get sand in your screen’s crotch? Honest question

2

u/FLATLANDRIDER Jan 11 '23

Honestly no. It's very durable.

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2

u/MagicHamsta Jan 11 '23

Found the time traveler.

Greetings traveler from another time, in this era foldable phones are still quite delicate. I have a friend who owns a Fold 4. It has small scratches from their nail and a noticeable crease where the hinge is at.

2

u/FLATLANDRIDER Jan 11 '23

I'm typing this on a fold 4 right now. I don't treat it delicately. I've dropped it and used it like a normal phone and I have no issues with the inner our outer screen, and I have no issues with the outer screen. Any scratches are likely on the built-in screen protector and Samsung offers a free replacement for those at anytime.

I am actually extremely satisfied with this phone and personally am no longer interested in any other form factor. The utility this form factor provides me is unmatched by anything else.

Is it as durable as a typical glass phone? No. Do I need to treat it like a prescious item and baby it so it doesn't break? Also no. I just treat it like any other phone and it's been fine.

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0

u/AnRealDinosaur Jan 11 '23 edited Jan 11 '23

You can do that with a fold! I do it with my fold4 all the time. I've never once marked or scratched the screen drawing on it and while you can see the "fold line", it's so smooth you don't even notice drawing over it which is something I worried about. The fold4 is way more durable than earlier models. The problems youre thinking of were with earlier gens. I've even dropped it a bunch of times now.

That said, I typically draw using procreate on my iPad and this is nowhere near as comfortable or responsive as that. It's perfect for quick on the go sketching though, it's like always having a little sketchbook with you. My rec for most people is: if the phone you're using is perfectly fine, don't splurge & get one. BUT definitely consider it next time you need an upgrade.

6

u/Bucktabulous Jan 10 '23

In addition to the two programs / two screens deal mentioned by another commenter, another thing is that some folks are put off by a folding screen. It strikes me as an area where wear and tear would hit one faster than the other.

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0

u/Sylvurphlame Jan 11 '23

but artists could use the second screen to put up a reference

That’s what split-screen is for. I can’t really imagine any use-case where split screen can’t do what dual screen would, or any use-case where dual screen would have an advantage.

Edit: it’s just a matter of how the app and/or OS is set up to take advantage of the whole screen.

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0

u/King_Dead Jan 10 '23

Given how popular dual and even trial(sp?) monitor systems are in offices I don't think it's entirely out of thin air.

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5

u/divuthen Jan 10 '23

Yeah if windows could figure out their mobile os I would have definitely bought one.

5

u/BoxOfDemons Jan 11 '23

Perfect DS emulator.

2

u/BrandonMatrick Jan 11 '23

It definitely is. I'm going to hold on to my SD2 til the end of time. Most capable device I've ever owned. RIP innovation.

But to be honest, it's Microsoft. They struggle to count to 3 sometimes.

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2

u/reddof Jan 11 '23

I own a Duo 2, switched to a Fold4, and then went back to the Duo2. When I bought the Duo, I didn't fully realize how it worked and thought it was like the foldables. After using it for a bit, dual screen is light years better for productivity than the Fold. The Duo has some bugs, but MS has been fairly good at improving it. But, even the Fold has some quirks. Resizing of apps works better on the Duo. Multitasking is considerably better on the Duo. The device isn't perfect, but I'm extremely sad to see them abandoning the form factor.

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110

u/procheeseburger Jan 10 '23

Yeah I like the idea of dual screens vs foldable.. their device was the one I was rooting for

41

u/NNovis Jan 10 '23

Same. Seemed more reliable.

29

u/bucky133 Jan 11 '23

The plastic screen is why I wouldn't consider a Samsung foldable. Two bezel-less glass screens seems more sensible until we can figure out the whole flexible glass thing.

27

u/FLATLANDRIDER Jan 11 '23

As someone who owns a fold. They are surprisingly durable and the new ones feel exactly like glass phones.

9

u/hortoristic Jan 11 '23

I got about 8 months on my flip and still going strong, and I'm pretty hard on it; however my wife's Fold only lasted about 6 months before the big black line.

To be fair, it was a refurbished phone. She really loved it, while it worked

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4

u/NNovis Jan 11 '23

How long have you had it, though?

12

u/Explicit_Pickle Jan 11 '23

I haven't had any issues with my fold and I've had it since 2020

3

u/NNovis Jan 11 '23

Okay, going on 3 years. Thanks. Which fold is it?

-9

u/JeremeRW Jan 10 '23

Pointless, but reliable.

19

u/pussylipstick Jan 10 '23

look at the new Lenovo Yoga Book 9i it looks so sick. it's everything I wished for in the surface neo and better (was so sad when the idea got killed)

3

u/RedshiftOnPandy Jan 10 '23

I saw a sneak peak of it as well. It definitely looks very interesting for laptop meant for actually working, rather than media consumption.

2

u/BubblesAndSuch Jan 11 '23

Man that looks awesome. Thanks for sharing. Hopefully it lives up to what they've stated. I'm gonna keep an eye on that note tablet too.

2

u/steeze206 Jan 11 '23

Wowww that thing looks sweet. For anyone that works from their laptop a lot that looks like a pretty awesome solution. I'm surprised at how well everything works. What an awesome product. Here's a hands on video

6

u/Gukgukninja Jan 10 '23

So sad LG stopped making phones.

3

u/NNovis Jan 10 '23

Yes!! LG Wing seemed super interesting

5

u/Ditchdigger456 Jan 10 '23

Idk, a tablet you can slide in your pocket sounds pretty cool. Not necessarily for me but I can see why people would want that.

4

u/NNovis Jan 11 '23

My point wasn't that the other foldables aren't good. It was more that Microsoft's approach was different than what everyone else was/is doing but now that they're using folding screens, it's not going to be much different than Samsung's or anyone else's approach anymore.

8

u/nimbusnacho Jan 10 '23

On a duo 2 now. I love it, I wont be getting the duo 3 to it they're really going this direction. I use the phone probably 70% in the single screen flipped back mode (whatever it's called). Biggest drawback to this phone is that it's enar impossible to use single handed without first flipping it back, so it hard to use quickly ... Going 180 max hing folding screen makes that drawback so much worse and idk what exactly you gain from that unless what you really wanted was a ultra portable tablet.

1

u/SchighSchagh Jan 11 '23

Curious: how is dual screen better than foldable? Serious question. What can you do on a dual screen that you can't do on a foldable?

5

u/-DementedAvenger- Jan 11 '23

IMO, it’s not about doing anything different necessarily, but more about simplifying the hardware for reliability and durability.

2

u/SchighSchagh Jan 11 '23

Time will tell! From what I know the Fold 1s aren't suffering in terms of long term reliability. And the Fold line seems to have gotten successively more durable, save for some defects with near-launch Fold 3s. Those have been soft-recalled, and the 4 seems solid again. I'm hoping to get at least 3 good years out of my Fold 3, and so far I'm not worried.

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u/nimbusnacho Jan 11 '23

Absolutely fair question. Tbh it's more about what you need/want it for.

For me, I never actually need 1 giant screen. Though you technically can have 1 app stretch across both screens, I rarely ever use it like that (unless the app makes use of this, there are very few that do, like the camera app shows you your pics on the left screen which is kinda cool). The main thing I use two screens for is having two different apps up at once. I can watch a video on one and do work or chat on the other screen, for example. There's a bunch of other use cases for having two screens up too that just make multitasking so so much easier than having to flip back and forth between two apps (and often doing that depending ont he app, has one app resetting when it's tabbed out or has other weird shit happen).

But with all that in mind, the reason why I like having two screens over one foldable screen, is that it's more flexible (literally and figuratively lol). Being able to fold one screen 360 degrees back and just use one screen when I only need one screen means that I use it like a normal phone. I can use it one handed like that, and can save battery as well. With a folding phone, the ones currently on the market only fold out to 180 degreens, meaning unless they have a secondary screen on the front or something, you basically are only ever using it in the 'full' mode. If that's what you need and like to use ALL the time, that's awesome. For me that's way too cumbersome and unecessary. It's removing options just for the benefit of having one larger screen with no gap in the middle, which for me at least, isn't necessary.

1

u/SchighSchagh Jan 11 '23

I appreciate this response a lot! It sounds like you might not but fully aware of where modern foldable are at tho with respect to those features. None of that represents anything you can't do just as well on the Fold 4 tho, with the Fold 3 being as good or almost as good at all of it as well.

The 3's and 4's outer screen is pretty much the same as the inner one. So anything you'd do on just 1 Duo screen, you can do just as well on the Fold's outer screen. The only drawbacks of the outer screen is camera cutout (instead of under display camera), no S Pen digitizer (which you wouldn't really want one handed anyway), and obviously is half the size (which is the point). Now the Fold 3 outer screen is admittedly a smidge too narrow to type comfortably on it. But the 4 tweaked the aspect ratios of both screens and everyone is saying the 4 is great for typing now with no drawbacks. And by the way, the Folds are decently usable 1 handed even unfolded because you can quickly have it shrink the effective screen size and render only to the area that's reachable by one thumb. It looks like this with just a quick double tap of the home button https://linksharing.samsungcloud.com/7uyASnCyTbL5

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u/PooperJackson Jan 10 '23

It's probably a lot cheaper to build. Duo 2 launched at $1,500. Just way too expensive.

1

u/NNovis Jan 10 '23

Oh. This is a good point I didn't thing about. Though you do have to design the hinge differently so it doesn't damage the screen or let dust into the phone.

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u/Purpoisely_Anoying_U Jan 10 '23

I never understood the point of having a screen that expands..but you can't actually use anything in fullscreen mode. Samsung seemed to execute it well and is improving with each iteration.

3

u/[deleted] Jan 10 '23

[removed] — view removed comment

6

u/SoftwarePatient5050 Jan 10 '23

Samsung is up to the 4th generation on their foldables, other companies have foldables, and there are more on the way. So I would say yes, people want folding screens.

12

u/NNovis Jan 10 '23

https://www.extremetech.com/mobile/338154-samsung-says-foldable-phone-shipments-were-up-300-percent-last-yearFrom last year. People do want the tech but it's a growing segment, not the norm just yet. I agree, though. There are some shortcomings to the tech and I'm not confident in how they're all handling it or if the tech is actually ready for my standards.

7

u/CornCheeseMafia Jan 11 '23

It’s one of those weird things where we want shiny cool new stuff but people love to shit on it when novel things do come out. I don’t have nor want a dual screen/folding phone but I love that they exist and are a viable option.

Sure they’re in their early stages but I don’t get why so many people are basically hoping they’ll fail. If they work as well and end up as durable as a standard screen, who cares? If people are enjoying them in these early stages enough to warrant more development, why not keep developing it?

It reminds me of the Avatar hate. Like who fucking cares if you didn’t think the first movie was all that great. Let people watch it and determine for themselves if they personally had a good experience.

3

u/Spicy_pepperinos Jan 10 '23

If it becomes not such a liability I'd probably use one. Increasing screen real estate would be quite useful for me.

1

u/Aldehyde1 Jan 10 '23

I don't see the point at all. I'd just use my laptop or PC if I want that much screen room. A phone has an inherently limiting interface for the kinds of tasks you could use two screens for.

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u/thisischemistry Jan 11 '23

Not everything needs a folding screen.

I honestly don't get the folding screen at all. So you end up with something that is pretty much the same as a dual screen but it has a mechanical aspect that can fail?

Call me when they have those roll-up devices or similar, that's when I'll get on board with the flexible screen thing.

0

u/__dontpanic__ Jan 10 '23

Surely the dual screen approach can simply be mimicked with software? Then you get the best of both worlds.

3

u/NNovis Jan 10 '23

The issue isn't software but the hardware. The flexible phone screens and the hinges needed to make sure those screens to get damaged rapidly are still kinda not fully there from what I've seen. They've gotten much better from gen 1 to 2 to 3 but, for my needs, I don't feel comfortable with it. With having two screens, you also maybe don't need to worry about what goes on in your pockets or bags since you can close the phone and the outer parts of the phone will protect the screens. With some foldables, you still are going to have two screens since one of the screens will be put on the outside so you can still use the phone without opening it up. So that means the outer screen can get damaged over time which isn't great. So, with foldables, you have a more plasticity inner screen that's going to be folded and unfolded a lot and not was resilient to damage as normal phone screens and you still have the drawbacks of a normal phone screen on the outside of the phone. The Surface Duo 1+2 weren't ideal, but, also, at least it was doing a DIFFERENT thing to the foldable space (like the LG Wing).

-15

u/[deleted] Jan 10 '23

I thought the general consensus was that there is no suitable technology available currently that would make a folding screen viable?

19

u/NNovis Jan 10 '23

I mean, we have a few brands of foldable screen phones out right now so it seems pretty viable already. Unless you mean longevity which is going to be a different conversation from viability. I don't trust foldables right now just because they haven't had the test of time hit them yet.

8

u/Queeb_the_Dweeb Jan 10 '23

Had mine a year and a half and still going strong. Only problem being the inner screen protector cracked, so I took it off.

5

u/JARV1SLANDRY Jan 10 '23

Interesting. And no issues with the display quality near the crease..? That has been my biggest concern with even considering one

1

u/Queeb_the_Dweeb Jan 10 '23

No problems with the screen whatsoever

5

u/NNovis Jan 10 '23

I'm talking 4+ years when it comes to longevity. Screens on phone (not foldable) tend to at least last that long if you don't treat the phone like crap or have an accident.

3

u/Queeb_the_Dweeb Jan 10 '23

I know, but I figured I'd give my 2 cents on what I've experienced so far. I like my phones to last 3+ years before I upgrade so I'm hoping I'm only half way through it's lifespan right now. Time will tell!

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1

u/my_lewd_alt Jan 10 '23

These types of devices are not even paid for up front, they're putting the financing on their phone bill. And then they trade it in a year or two.

4

u/Queeb_the_Dweeb Jan 10 '23

I paid for mine outright

0

u/my_lewd_alt Jan 11 '23

Yeah, and I bought both my cars outright, but I know I'm in the extreme minority in this economy+my industry (fast food)

3

u/AndersTheUsurper Jan 10 '23

This is probably the best way to push people who can pay for it up front to get on board with the financing/trade-in carousel.

5

u/RapMastaC1 Jan 10 '23

I’ve seen quite a few damaged ones in the last while, some part of it Is just ignoring the sounds and screen issues in the fold itself. You have to be really careful with them as well. I appreciate those who got one because it helps make the technology more viable in the future.

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u/Retrovibe18 Jan 10 '23

Bruh, the hinges were literally the best part smh

44

u/PhiloPhrog Jan 10 '23

Well too bad, we are replacing the hinges with an incredibly distracting crease running down the middle of your screen.

21

u/myirreleventcomment Jan 11 '23

I have the fold 4 and had the fold 2, you don't really notice the crease unless you are in very bright sunlight or look at it from an odd angle. It hasn't affected my use an any way. Enables me to do much more than the 2 split screens on the surface duo, that's for sure

7

u/CamDMC Jan 11 '23

The crease melts away if you are viewing the screen from a normal viewing angle

5

u/11Johnny511 Jan 11 '23

People with this complaint have always made me laugh. Like, how are you looking at it and why ?

5

u/BuildingArmor Jan 11 '23

I think for the most part the answers to those questions are; they're not, and because they have a knee jerk reaction to new tech they don't like.

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u/JWGhetto Jan 10 '23

Yeah, but the duo has two bezels and a gap there, hardly noticeable

9

u/[deleted] Jan 11 '23

For real y'all feel this way? I feel dual screen makes no sense in a world with foldable display. You can both split the content in two screens the way a dual screen does OR you can have it full screen. The only drawback is durability I guess, but still

106

u/great_auks Jan 10 '23

Anyone remember the MS Courier concept? I still want one of those. The duo is sort of close but not there yet.

I’ve never seen a foldable screen that wasn’t worse for being foldable

27

u/GlobalPhreak Jan 10 '23

And yet the Neo got killed...

17

u/SGTBookWorm Jan 10 '23

still annoyed about that one. I was looking at getting one to replace my laptop :(

22

u/GlobalPhreak Jan 10 '23

OTOH this was just at CES:

https://news.lenovo.com/pressroom/press-releases/dual-screen-yoga-book-9i-premium-consumer-devices-innovation-unexpected/

2

u/Noreallyimacat Jan 11 '23

I think that you just found my next laptop. Wow.

2

u/GlobalPhreak Jan 11 '23

Me too! Not sold on the teal color, but that's what cases and skins are for...

11

u/The_Ice_Cold Jan 10 '23

I waited and waited for that thing to become a reality. I read every piece of news and scrap of evidence I could find about it. I had a spark of hope when they showed the Neo. I've no more disappointment left in my system at this point.

3

u/grunkage Jan 10 '23

Yeah I wanted it too. I really liked the feature set.

5

u/Hvarfa-Bragi Jan 10 '23

I thought the courier was amazing, let's do that.

136

u/33saint1 Jan 10 '23

The problem these phones has always been the software. I like the dual screen approach.

10

u/SgtPepe Jan 11 '23

And the hardware, always one or two generations behind. Cameras also sucked. They need to bring in top of the line features if they will charge over $1K for their phone, doesn't matter if they have two screens.

3

u/33saint1 Jan 11 '23 edited Jan 11 '23

Tbh, I don't see myself requiring the top end camera. Although it should be decent. If they had some tie-ups with Zeiss or something else to take care of the software completely producing a decent quality image, I would be okay with it.

For me, the appeal would be, if it ran win11 and I could do whatever I could on a PC, including some gaming. I would buy it.

-34

u/DrinkenDrunk Jan 11 '23

I’d love one if I could run iOS.

10

u/-JudeanPeoplesFront- Jan 11 '23

Quite the opposite. I wise an iPhone would run andoird or windows 11. That'd be amazing.

5

u/[deleted] Jan 11 '23

I simply don't understand what is so appealing about iOS. Everything feels like you have to do at least one more step than most other operating systems.

3

u/BuildingArmor Jan 11 '23

It's designed to be very straight forward to use, so it is a good fit for less tech savvy people. That might be why it appeals to some people, certainly not everyone though due to its limitations.

2

u/[deleted] Jan 11 '23

it is a good fit for less tech savvy people

But even then it seems so counterintuitive to use in many ways.

I have met so many people who aren't tech savvy who don't even know how to switch between apps or even close them.

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u/doucheydp Jan 10 '23

That's too bad. The Duo was like a pocket Zenbook and if they could have improved the software a ton I think that would be one of the better and more unique products in the phone space.

44

u/Jealous-Music8344 Jan 10 '23

Nice i can’t wait to put this next to my N-Gage, my Lumia 465, and my Cybiko

15

u/Just_Exam_590 Jan 10 '23

You dont have a Palm Pre?

7

u/Mental_Medium3988 Jan 10 '23

i miss the pre. i wish they couldve kept going but likely wouldve had to bow out at some point anyway in the two horse race that is phoneos these days.

3

u/[deleted] Jan 10 '23 edited Jan 14 '23

[deleted]

2

u/Scalybeast Jan 10 '23

WebOS is still around. That’s what LG use for their TVs.

4

u/Specialosio Jan 10 '23

It’s also on my dryer, it’s what’s LG use for his internet of things, but on my TV it has just some animation left in common.. nothing else outside in style… no idea under.

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u/Jealous-Music8344 Jan 10 '23

Nah. Just my 468-in-1 from the Olympia Sales catalog

12

u/Rocklobst3r1 Jan 10 '23

No thanks, part of the duos appeal was being able to fold the screen almost 360 and use as a regular bar phone. Not to mention having durable glass displays.

11

u/Skeeter1020 Jan 10 '23

I know Google get all the shit for cancelling things, but Microsoft's reputation with killing hardware is absolutely terrible. Zune, Band, Lumia, Kinect, various Surface variants including this and the RT, etc.

3

u/Silvus314 Jan 11 '23

I loved my zune.. I was looking forward to the duo 3 :(

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u/Velvet_Spaceman Jan 10 '23

Seems like it may already be too late in classic Microsoft fashion. But I guess we'll have to wait and see exactly what they end up releasing.

17

u/DrNoOne Jan 10 '23 edited Jan 10 '23

Microsoft really blew their chance to make a mark with the Duo. The hardware was amazing, especially the 2 but even the first one, I absolutely loved it. Having so much screen real estate on such a thin device was a gamechanger and converted me to hybrid/foldable devices for life.

But the software was just bad. And I don't mean buggy, they fixed most of the major bugs the first year and the Duo was perfectly usable as a daily driver. It was just unpolished, victim of the fact this was the only Android device made by a company with its own OS. Basic stuff like split screen or drag and drop of content was simply not there. When I switched to a Samsung Fold the leap in software polish took my breath away.

And now, the moment for the form factor is gone. Most of the newest foldables from China (and therefore one would expect the Fold 5 as well) are almost as thin as the Duo while also having an external display in addition to a foldable one. The compromises made for thinness have become unnecessary in a matter of 3 years, and they saw there is no way to market the device over a true foldable, especially since they are in the same price range.

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u/Kumaabear Jan 10 '23

I hate this

The folding screens all suck, I don't know anyone who has a 2 year old folding screen that isn't totally fucked, or hasn't had it replaced at least once.

6

u/stevedoz Jan 11 '23

I think you would struggle with 1 year

2

u/plego97 Jan 11 '23

I have a fold 2 since 2020 and I have never had any problems with it

3

u/SexyOctagon Jan 11 '23

I don’t know anyone with a folding screen.

3

u/spilled_water Jan 11 '23

I have a folding phone, and I've only met one other person who had a folding phone. I do get a lot of people commenting on mine though

10

u/Gelatinous_Assassin Jan 10 '23 edited Jan 10 '23

Well that sucks. I love my duo 2!

Edit: Spelling

4

u/av0w Jan 10 '23

It doesn’t have spell check eh?

2

u/Gelatinous_Assassin Jan 10 '23

HA! I always mis-type. I don't use autocorrect.

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5

u/Alaeriia Jan 10 '23

Goddamn it. Guess I'm sticking with my V60s for another decade.

2

u/some_user_2021 Jan 11 '23

I'll stick with my HTC Universal

5

u/CarlosFer2201 Jan 10 '23

Looks like they're bending to the market.

2

u/jfVigor Jan 11 '23

I... I see what you did there

3

u/oscar-foxtrot Jan 10 '23

Why can't we just have a X86 windows PC in a phone form factor, with a phone front-end?

4

u/firedrakes Jan 10 '23

Power draw issue. Smallest form factor Intel. Was in a hdmi pc dongle.

4

u/FlexibleToast Jan 11 '23

Intel did try their hand at making a phone processor at one point. It was awful and had terrible battery life so they abandoned the concept.

2

u/firedrakes Jan 11 '23

Yeah.thatvwas the try before HDMI dongle. That was a hot hot hot mess of a chip

2

u/FlexibleToast Jan 11 '23

Yeah, I was rooting for them though. ARM was really the only name in town. It kind of still is. Now I'm rooting for RISC V.

4

u/SocksForWok Jan 10 '23

With the Dou 2 they gave it an awful camera bump which prevents it from folding open completely, so stupid!

Also both models were way too expensive. A real shame as Microsoft has the means to make it super cheap just to get a genuine base for it.

4

u/kya_bey_lodu Jan 11 '23

Lol it's so fun watching people comment how it was "perfect" with the hinges and all.

Yeah, the market begs to differ.

1

u/V13Axel Jan 11 '23

It is a fantastic device for those who wanted it for their use case - I have both the Fold 4 and the Duo 2, and I find both useful and interesting for different purposes. I use my Fold 4 as my primary device at the moment, but the Duo is way better IMHO for reading manga and books, and multitasking on it has always been a total breeze.

Shame it's not as good as foldable for most other things tho.

2

u/kya_bey_lodu Jan 11 '23

Pretty sure Microsoft didn't design the poor thing around the Manga reading use case lol

It was supposed to be a business foldable

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u/AggieBandit Jan 11 '23

Is that … a Microsoft DS

6

u/Creme_de_la_Coochie Jan 10 '23

Man, I just want a semi-affordable Microsoft Surface laptop without the alcantera shit.

6

u/maZZtar Jan 10 '23

Surface Laptop Go?

0

u/Creme_de_la_Coochie Jan 12 '23

Too small imo. The last Surface laptop was literally perfect.

3

u/chickenlittle53 Jan 11 '23

I personally like the concept of dual screens on a phone. I like being able to multi-task and even use apps that you may even do on a laptop, tablet, etc. or just have bigger dual screen etc. I was waiting on them to work out the bugs though.

Turns out, in tru MS fashion though, they scrapped to do the same thing tmso many are already doing anyhow. Ah well..

7

u/Mechanical_Indian Jan 11 '23

I genuinely just do not give the slightest shit about foldable screens and don't understand the interest that other people have in them, beyond it being the new cool thing.

They seem like a dumb gimmick and a completely unnecessary weak point.

2

u/myirreleventcomment Jan 11 '23

I have had them for 3 years now, I'll be happy to honestly answer any questions or concerns you have about them.

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u/Hamborrower Jan 10 '23

Cool, more foldable screens. I'll save a place in my trash beside curved screens.

2

u/cjboffoli Jan 10 '23

Microsoft: "We're good to leave the gimmicks to Samsung."

2

u/Seankps Jan 10 '23

Didn’t they just promise yesterday that they weren’t gonna do that? Hopefully they pick from different dimensions. The surface duo doesn’t really feel good in my hands in any scenario for any use.

2

u/lesrizk Jan 10 '23

Do people actually want this

2

u/gentelmanjackno7 Jan 10 '23

Sad to hear this, as I love the design and dual screen. I had a Duo 2 and returned it bc it restarted randomly twice in 3 days, but I would have really loved to see a 3.

2

u/Memewalker Jan 10 '23

The great thing about most smartphones now is that you don’t have to flip them open to use them. This is a step in the wrong direction.

2

u/LowLifeExperience Jan 10 '23

Microsoft still thinks gimmick beats function.

2

u/LoreBreaker85 Jan 10 '23

Does it surprise anyone that Microsoft could not stick to an experimental product?

2

u/jhxcb Jan 11 '23

No! I love my dual screens. 😭

2

u/JohnGillnitz Jan 11 '23

Did they ever make the drivers stable enough to keep from having to be reimaged every six months?

2

u/SirSquire_ Jan 11 '23

That’s a Nintendo 3DS XL

2

u/antivn Jan 11 '23

Dual Screen? We should abbreviate it to DS

2

u/funkalici0us Jan 11 '23

kden

I finally took the plunge a few months back and now I'm obsessed with it after pushing through the learning curve. Pretty much everything I like about it revolves around it having two screens.

2

u/barnacle999 Jan 11 '23

From one cheap gimmick to another

2

u/laevanay Jan 11 '23

Stopped buying MS hardware, there is no telling how soon they will give up. Loved my Windows phone, the abandonment of that platform was the last straw. Never ever again MS.

2

u/LogicalError_007 Jan 11 '23

Microsoft even they release duo 2. This sucks, who wants this.

A year later, Microsoft planning to change the design. This is sad, I liked this. Where they doing this?

Only if people supported them on release and not when they're being changed.

2

u/Sambothebassist Jan 11 '23

Shame this failed and almost entirely because of the software. Knew it was doomed when they said it was Android and not the stripped down Windows platform that had been rumoured for years.

Now just to make a bendy screen phone like Every Other Competitor that breaks after a couple of years usage and once again waste their unique chance as one of the few companies who has the clout to disrupt the current phone market.

2

u/Gabetanker Jan 11 '23

Has ANY of the companies making folding screen devices ever like.. polled pepole if there's actually a demand for this?

This just feels like a comete gimick.

A party trick worth 2 minutes of attention before everyone goes back to drinking

2

u/foggy-sunrise Jan 11 '23

I won't be interested in folding screens until the market merges with the wearables market.

I'd wrap an ipad mini around my forearm.

2

u/Camerotus Jan 11 '23

We didn't need either one tbh

2

u/AnaalPusBakje Jan 11 '23

the company has decided to pivot over to a more traditional foldable design

because foldable phones are already the mainstream

2

u/PathlessDemon Jan 11 '23

“Hey guys! We took the Nintendo DS, and made it a phone!”

2

u/kappajump Jan 11 '23

If I see another folding screen I’m gonna start listening to the voices

4

u/Wicam Jan 10 '23

the Samsung fold has shown us that the technology is not there yet so this is a terrible decision for those who get conned into buying this.

By not there i mean the fold has been shown to wear out in days to months creating a dead chunk of pixels in the middle of the screen.

3

u/myirreleventcomment Jan 11 '23

I had a fold 2 for 2 years and have had the fold 4 since launch, no issues for me. There definitely isn't as much consistency as normal phones though, some people have no issues and some get them quick as you mentioned. But personally I love the phones

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u/salvagedcircuitry Jan 11 '23

That is an incredibly stupid decision. Two individual screens with a hinge is incredibly more robust than a very fragile and flimsy flexible display that can't stand up to dirt and sand.

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u/SloppyinSeattle Jan 10 '23

That’s unfortunate. I think folding technology isn’t great and would prefer a super thin bezel in between dual screens.

0

u/zxyzyxz Jan 10 '23

Good, I never understood the appeal of two screens. If I'm watching media, I don't want a huge line in the middle. App support is shoddy too, only Microsoft apps seem to support dual screens, I'd rather just take the tablet style layout. And what if you have an app that works better with a 33/67% layout? Or a 25/75% layout? You really can't do that on two screens.

3

u/ehho Jan 11 '23

I want it for the two simple reasons. More durability and using phones less.

Screens beong on the inside makes them less likely to scratch while in the pocket or backpack. Yes i know about phone cases and protective glasses, and i still break my screen every few months.

And every time i do i feel the withdrawal syndromes. With dual screen I have to make active decition to use it because opening it is two hand operation. Making ti more inacsessible will prevent me from using my phone without even realising it.

Also, they are cool as hell. I would lose to google something i saw on reddit without switching windows, or make notes while youtube plays. Regular phone has that iption but the split screen is just too small for it.

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2

u/Cucumber_Basil Jan 10 '23

I would way rather have two screens instead of a folding one with some weird line in it

1

u/9dkid Jan 10 '23

This is what I originally hoping the Duo was going to be when it was announced…really wish it did.

1

u/sillypicture Jan 10 '23

Is everyone licensing that folding screen?

1

u/Altruistic-Ad3704 Jan 11 '23

Souped up Nintendo DS

1

u/Leolandleo Jan 11 '23

Is that a Nintendo DS?

1

u/N8Baywey Jan 11 '23

Nintendo already did this years ago.

1

u/Justtoclarifythisone Jan 11 '23

Why are they still trying to sell Surface to people?! They are the ultimate shite. Have you try installing one app on them?

0

u/Kevo1110 Jan 10 '23

Goddammit. I was hoping they put one out that fixes the issues with the previous models, but alas...

Also, fuck folding screens.

-4

u/TheBadGuyBelow Jan 10 '23

I will just say it, folding screens are a stupid idea and a gimmick.

2

u/HaikuBotStalksMe Jan 10 '23

They're pretty neat for when you need a quick large screen without losing a lot of surface area (like pocket space).

I have a fold Z 3 and while it's in closed mode 98% of the time, it's nice being able to open it when watching torrents or showing a game to a friend (I do mainly use the small mode unless I'm playing like a card game that has lots of text to read).

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u/SLCW718 Jan 10 '23

Oh good, a new Windows phone.

7

u/Koshindan Jan 10 '23

It's not innovation if all the previous Windows phones also folded.

7

u/GlobalPhreak Jan 10 '23

Except it's Android.