Microsoft Surface Duo was unveiled on October 1st 2019 and it was only launched in Summer 2020, to modest reviews. A few hundreds of dollars of price cuts later, we’re already talking about a follow-up, even though the first one was a flop. Turns out that 5G is part of the package this time around.
One of the main drawbacks of the first model was the lack of 5G connectivity, as it had the dated Snapdragon 855 CPU and no 5G modem. It runs on Android 10 and Android 11 should come this summer. The 3577 mAh is also rather underwhelming. Microsoft has the device on sale right now, with the 128 GB model priced at $949.99. It’s a $450 discount on the original unit pricing. And back to the core point of the article, the Surface Duo 2 (which is already a weird name) is rumored to get 5G support.
That’s according to a Microsoft job listing, which hints at a codename dubbed “Zeta”. The job listings have been removed in the meantime, lending some credibility to the leak. One of them was a SW/FW Engineer II in Taipei, Taiwan. Microsoft is no longer accepting applications for the job, but it still shows up online. Qualifications mention “familiarity with telephony/ 5G radio technologies”. It’s very to speculate on the novelties of the new product, ranging from the likely Snapdragon 888 CPU inside, to the enhanced storage and RAM, bigger battery, 5G, perhaps more usable cameras.
The first Surface Duo only had a front 11 MP camera, which was not of much use. Narrower bezels and better build quality also wouldn’t hurt, since the first one experience breakage around the USB-C port area.
Android 11 with a heavy Microsoft skin will most likely be present, as well as two screens united by a hinge.
