Official looking Microsoft Surface Duo renders have been leaked

[soldier_ph]

Summary

The Android foldable from Microsoft, which was initially unveiled at an Product event last year on October 2nd 2019, is rumored to go on sale and start shipping as soon as this Month. Offical looking renders have leaked on August 7th and show of the final Hardware design of the Surface Duo. Compared to the early units Microsoft shared with us last year the big difference in these renders from Evan Blass (@evleaks, prominent smartphone leaker) is the inclusion of a flash in the top right corner next to the Selfie Camera (which is also the only Camera on the device). It’s identical to the real world shots shared by various Microsoft employees in recent weeks. 

 

Photos

 

Quotes

Quote

-Quote from the 9 to 5 Google Article-

 

Microsoft’s Android Foldable is rumored to go on sale and start shipping as soon as this month. Official-looking renders have leaked today and show the final hardware design of the Surface Duo

 

Compared to the early units that Microsoft shared last October, the big difference in these renders from Evan Blass (@evleaks) is the inclusion of a flash in the top-right corner of the open Surface Duo. It’s identical to the real-world shots shared by various Microsoft employees in recent weeks.

The sequence of images show the Duo closed and then open at various angles. On the left homescreen, we see the Google Search widget up top followed by a clock with date and weather. The dock shows Microsoft Edge, OneNote, and Outlook. 

The dock on the opposite side is home to Google’s Phone and Messages app, as well as Camera. While it looks like Google Camera on the Pixel, the icon has been ever so slightly tweaked, down to the purplish lens. Homescreen apps include a folder dedicated to Microsoft, while other first-party ones are also present.

Previous specs leak suggests that the foldable — with its dual-5.6-inch screens — will be powered by a Snapdragon 855 with 6GB of RAM. Three storage configurations (64GB, 128GB, and 256GB) are rumored, while there’s a single 11MP camera that serves as the front and rear facer. The battery is supposed to be rated at 3,460mAh with USB-C charging. 

 

My thoughts

Well the Duo and it's bigger Brother the Neo will definitely be very Premium foldables with Premium Price tags to boot. My guess is that the Duo is gonna start at 1199 USD and the Neo at 1799 USD at the very least. Spec wise the Duo is a High End class device with its rumored Snapdragon 855, 6GB RAM and dual screens. But the Neo (which will run Windows) with its Lakefield CPU is just gonna be as fast as the Surface X mabye, it's just a Mobile part so we shouldn't expect a lot of performance out of these devices which are glued shut and don't have any active cooling. So the Duo is rumored to become available this Month even while we have to wait till Holiday season for the Neo.

 

Sources

9 to 5 Google: Surface Duo ‘for AT&T’ leaks in up-to-date and official-looking renders [Gallery]

 

9 to 5 Google: More Surface Duo specs rumored, including 256GB model, 11MP camera, no NFC

[soldier_ph]

Just now, VegetableStu said:

did anything change since their keynote last year? o_o

Well as mentioned the flash is new and the hinge is supposed to be final now too iirc. 

[zeusthemoose]

I forgot about these. It’s been so long since the announcement. Any idea why they did release them then?

Great write up @Pascal...!

[soldier_ph]

Just now, zeusthemoose said:

I forgot about these. It’s been so long since the announcement. Any idea why they did release them then?

Great write up @Pascal...!

Well they announced them back at their Surface event in 2019 because after they showed off the Surface X and regular Surface they wanted to give the world a  hint at what is coming this fall/Holiday Season. Would you believe me that I still remember watching that event and the feeling of the Hype that they built up before taking of the Curtains of the Duo and Neo ? 

[soldier_ph]

2 minutes ago, VegetableStu said:

i remember someone in this forum pointing out that lisa su was in the audience, LOL

Yeah because the Surface X uses a custom designed AMD chip that was Co-Developed with Microsoft. Jeff Bezos and Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon were in the audience too.

[Red :)]

As wise man, John Oliver, once said:

 

 

 

 

cool

[Acid Panda]

Nintendo? 

[Doobeedoo]

I'm interested to see more from this, though still seems rather early type of device, it will need more work hw and sw wise. The price will be high too so. We'll see once out. 

[suicidalfranco]

after the fold 2... kinda meh now

 

[givingtnt]

Closed it looks like a Nintendo DS

[Senzelian]

5 hours ago, suicidalfranco said:

after the fold 2... kinda meh now

 

This was kinda meh already a year ago. 

I don't understand how anyone ever got excited about this thing.

 

LG had already done the same thing with their G8 and that dual screen case thingy.

 

And while I'm at it, f*ck the Fold 2 too.

[zeusthemoose]

1 hour ago, Senzelian said:

I don't understand how anyone ever got excited about this thing.

I wasn’t very excited about the phone one what I was about the laptop one. I liked the idea of two tablet sized screens with an optional keyboard. But now that there are all the laptops with the second smaller screen, it is much less exciting.

[Crossbourne]

I don't understand the purpose of this. It doesn't have an extra screen when it's folded, why would you want to have this? Sure, it takes up less space, but that's meh.

[Tech_Dreamer]

oh god that ugly dummy thick bezel, is this a 2012 phablet stitched together?

[captain_to_fire]

Microsoft can’t expect this to sell well if they’re gonna price it like an iPhone 11 Pro or a Note 20 Ultra. 

[Commodus]

23 hours ago, zeusthemoose said:

I forgot about these. It’s been so long since the announcement. Any idea why they did release them then?

Great write up @Pascal...!

It was a question of giving developers time to get apps ready, but in the case of the Surface Neo it was also a matter of necessity for the hardware -- the Lakefield platform just wasn't ready yet.

 

Now, whether or not it was worth waiting is another story. Neo is one thing, but if the Surface Duo does ship with a Snapdragon 855 and other lacklustre specs... well, unless it's selling for relatively cheap, it's not going to fare well. I'm concerned this is classic Microsoft, where the company talks about things too far in advance and is too certain the market is willing to wait (as if it's 1998 and Microsoft is still the centre of the tech universe).

 

For that matter, these new Surfaces may be the unfortunate victims of the pandemic. The Neo isn't going to show up until 2021 anyway, but I can't help but think it's ill-timed -- unless there's a vaccine, you're not going to risk your life to use the Neo for some work at a coffee shop.

[GoodBytes]

Google head of Android also leaded the device today on Twitter:

 

https://twitter.com/lockheimer/status/1292920561547374594

 

I think the device focus is to get it out as a first gen small release and see. If they see there is interest in it, I think they'll work on the next one with better/latest specs, modern near or full screen OLED display and camera. Not to mention larger production quantity. I doubt, that this first gen device will make Microsoft make many, and I bet, like the Surface Pro when it came out, it was only on select region.

 

I won't be surprised either of it is a AT&T exclusive device either, in the US (you can prob buy it on full on MS site, but that is it). 

 

It is definitely an experimental device.

[rawrdaysgoby]

I keep on saying this that they should have toss away the development of this surface neo and duo crap as it has already been done and failed so many times. It was just not that useful.

 

Instead they should have focused on the book 3 instead of just giving a minor spec bump. How hard was it to make it have thinner bezels, a larger trackpad, 120hz screen, maybe AMD processor and a 2060.... Then made sure you can buy them the tablet and keyboard/gpu combo spereately so upgrades can be easier for the consumer/battery swaps.

[GoodBytes]

19 hours ago, rawrdaysgoby said:

I keep on saying this that they should have toss away the development of this surface neo and duo crap as it has already been done and failed so many times. It was just not that useful.

Neo is delayed indefinitely. Intel CPU is not ready, and Windows 10X isn't either, due to been reworked for supporting single screen devices, including ultra low powered ones.

 

Quote

Instead they should have focused on the book 3 instead of just giving a minor spec bump. How hard was it to make it have thinner bezels, a larger trackpad, 120hz screen, maybe AMD processor and a 2060.... Then made sure you can buy them the tablet and keyboard/gpu combo spereately so upgrades can be easier for the consumer/battery swaps.

The device is not for you. The borders are for you to hold it in tablet mode and not have it clicked everywhere. Unlike iPads, you have the desktop with icons on the edges, you have applications with side toolbars.

 

Larger trackpad involved reworking the device part strength. It isn't plastic where be doing more is a ok. Well for the price you would not accept it on any case. There is R&D needed, there may be things in the way as well. Also, you have drivers to be adapted and re-calibrated. It's not a matter of a 2min thing. It is lots of work, and new costly molds to be made, work with manufactures of that particular part, trial runs and QA.

 

120Hz,bus probably a low priority thing. It isn't a gaming device. Already, battery life is complained about with 60Hz screen. So no. 

 

As for seperate purchase. Again, the Surface line is not designed to be consumer friendly and compete against OEMs. They are treated as premium devices, with premium price, Apple style. This is why I always say, if you don't plan to use every aspect of the device, I cannot recommend the device as you can find cheaper and better specs device.

 

Everything tells me that the Surface Duo is will be:

• overpriced
• limited production device
• limited region availability
• Microsoft does not expect large sales volume but rather a long term investment.

Microsoft knows it is a niche product at this stage, but they want to be in.

 

The only things that Microsoft was able to do that Samsung could not, is work with Google to official, standard, APIs for dual screen devices. This will help both dual screen phones and foldable ones.

[rawrdaysgoby]

3 hours ago, GoodBytes said:

 

 

The device is not for you. The borders are for you to hold it in tablet mode and not have it clicked everywhere. Unlike iPads, you have the desktop with icons on the edges, you have applications with side toolbars.

 

Larger trackpad involved reworking the device part strength. It isn't plastic where be doing more is a ok. Well for the price you would not accept it on any case. There is R&D needed, there may be things in the way as well. Also, you have drivers to be adapted and re-calibrated. It's not a matter of a 2min thing. It is lots of work, and new costly molds to be made, work with manufactures of that particular part, trial runs and QA.

 

120Hz,bus probably a low priority thing. It isn't a gaming device. Already, battery life is complained about with 60Hz screen. So no. 

 

As for seperate purchase. Again, the Surface line is not designed to be consumer friendly and compete against OEMs. They are treated as premium devices, with premium price, Apple style. This is why I always say, if you don't plan to use every aspect of the device, I cannot recommend the device as you can find cheaper and better specs device.

 

Stop making excuses for Microsoft about the surfacebook.  Borders? Just have palm rejection, Icons on the edge hello did you not know you can move the icons around Ya know since the early days of windows. You don't actually have to snap it to the grid. Why are you assuming people just holding the tablet part... You can put it down in front of you for the side toolbars Ya know as intended it to be a drawing device..

 

They have "3" ITERATION They are I think now a trillion dollar company. For them to make a larger trackpad that is a terrible excuse. The Base is literally JUST a large battery and a section for the gpu and trackpad. There are thinner laptops then Microsofts surfacebook keyboard...  THEY LITERALLY made the drivers that others are using if they can't get it done how can others do it.

 

Sure 120hz maybe low priority... But on a device like the 15 inch that cost 2300$ is no excuse. Even the screen didn't change!

 

They should only command premium prices if it is a premium device with all the specs. 

 

Hell just check out all the reviews that are out on the book 3. At this rate you might as well just the real premium device like the Dell Xps 17 (2020). The Dell active stylus pen. Dell literally come out with an XPS line every year.... The only difference I believe is that you can't really put the screen down I think to draw?

 

All microsoft did was a spec bump/better hing mechanism its been like over 5 years. 

 

At least Microsoft give people options instead of just storage and ram and just intel. Hell even different screens.

[zeusthemoose]

2 minutes ago, rawrdaysgoby said:

Ya know as intended it to be a drawing device..

I’m pretty sure it’s not supposed to be a drawing device...

If you look at the Microsoft page, it mentions creative and professional work but nothing about drawing. If someone wants to do digital art, why not get a drawing tablet or a laptop with a decent stylus? The surface pen would not be good for art, it’s mostly for simple tapping and other basic stylus things. My experience with it is that the majority of people using it are people who need both a tablet and a full laptop experience which they can’t get with a surface pro. For example, doctors who use it as a tablet for rounds and as a laptop for everything else.
They can get away with the high price because afaik there are no other laptops with detachable screens anymore. Only 2-in-1s where you can flip the keyboard or tablets with optional keyboards.