Microsoft Surface Duo Fire Sale Slashes Price Of Quirky Android Foldable To Just $599

by Brandon Hill — Saturday, May 15, 2021, 03:00 AM EDT

When Microsoft launched the Surface Duo last year, priced from $1,399, we knew it would be a tough sell. Not only was it priced well above what we expect for flagship Android devices, but it also came with an outdated processor (Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, when flagships at the time rocked the Snapdragon 865/865+), just 6GB of RAM, and lacked 5G connectivity.

However, the Surface Duo's main calling card was its dual displays, which was enough to capture the attention of a few Android enthusiasts. Unfortunately for Microsoft, sales haven't been as strong as it hoped, and its retail partners are now deeply discounting the Surface Duo. BuyDig earlier this week sold the Surface Duo for a low $699.99, but Amazon-owned Woot is now taking the lead with a bargain price of $599.99.

To put things into perspective, this is an $800 discount off the launch price of the Surface Duo. No matter what you think of the Surface Duo, the new $599 price point makes it a vastly more interesting device than when it launched in August 2020. However, the price cuts aren't surprising, given that the smartphone was discounted by $200 within two months of its debut.

With that said, the $599.99 price applies to the 128GB version of the Surface Duo. If you want the flagship 256GB model, Woot will gladly sell it to you for an additional $70, taking the price to $669.99. These devices are sold new in retail packaging with a factory warranty and come locked to the AT&T network. However, since these devices are being bought outright with no contract attached, you shouldn't have any issues contacting AT&T to have the lock removed.

The Surface Duo features dual 5.6-inch AMOLED 3:2 displays, each of which has a resolution of 1800x1350, giving you an effective 8.1-inch workspace of 2700x1800. The battery is relatively small at 3,577 mAh, but Microsoft promises all-day runtimes. Unlike most other smartphones on the market, the Surface Duo makes do with just one camera: an 11MP unit with an f/2.0 sensor. It is tasked with handling both your primary and selfie shooting duties.

According to Woot, its current sale on the Surface Duo will last for the remainder of the day or until sold out. And for anyone concerned about Microsoft abandoning this seemingly unloved device, the company has committed to supporting it via updates for at least three years.

Tags: Android, Microsoft, Amazon, (nasdaq:msft), woot, surface duo

Brandon Hill

Brandon received his first PC, an IBM Aptiva 310, in 1994 and hasn’t looked back since. He cut his teeth on computer building/repair working at a mom and pop computer shop as a plucky teen in the mid 90s and went on to join AnandTech as the Senior News Editor in 1999. Brandon would later help to form DailyTech where he served as Editor-in-Chief from 2008 until 2014. Brandon is a tech geek at heart, and family members always know where to turn when they need free tech support. When he isn’t writing about the tech hardware or studying up on the latest in mobile gadgets, you’ll find him browsing forums that cater to his long-running passion: automobiles.

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