Microsoft Surface Duo 2 Gains FCC’s Blessing With 5G And Wireless Charging Onboard
We’ve now learned that the device has passed through the halls of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which revealed some key details surrounding its specifications. The Surface Duo 2 received its stamp of approval on September 17th ahead of Microsoft’s September 22nd Surface event. The FCC’s documentation confirms that the Surface Duo 2 features 5G connectivity, likely provided by the rumored Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC.
Also along for the ride is ultra-wideband (UWB) and NFC support. There’s also a mention of Wireless Power Transfer, but there’s no specific mention of the popular Qi wireless standard. Instead, Windows Central surmises that the wireless charging feature refers to inductive charging for the Surface Pen. The publication backs up that reasoning by indicating that dealing with the thin design of the phone and resulting heat from a Qi coil would be a formidable engineering challenge.
In addition to the aforementioned Snapdragon 888 SoC, the Surface Duo 2 reportedly features 8GB of RAM (up from 6GB), triple cameras on the back (12MP, 12MP, 16MP), dual 5.8-inch displays, 128GB and 256GB storage configurations, and a 4,400 mAh battery (up from 3,577 mAh).
We’ll be interested in seeing how Microsoft prices the Surface Duo 2, considering that its predecessor started at $1,399 (128GB) and was widely considered a sales flop. Yet, just last month, that same device was available for $389, more than $1,000 off its original asking price, which is unheard of for a flagship device less than a year after release. The last device that we can remember that quickly plummeted in price was Amazon’s failed Fire Phone.
This week’s Surface event will also see the arrival of the Surface Pro 8 Windows 11 convertible along with the Surface Go 3 and potentially the Surface Book 4.
