Microsoft Races To Launch Surface Duo Ahead Of Samsung Galaxy Fold 2's Big Reveal
According to a tweet this week by Windows Central's Zac Bowden, Microsoft is pushing to get the Surface Duo out the door before Samsung launches its Galaxy Fold 2. That's probably a wise move, as the Surface Duo had pretty competitive specs when it was first announced, but it's falling behind the times as a "flagship" device for 2020.
The Surface Duo reportedly features two 5.6-inch AMOLED displays that each have a resolution of 1800x1350. Powering the phone will be a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 SoC, 6GB of RAM, and 64GB of internal storage (256GB optional). Interestingly, Microsoft allegedly won't offer a microSD slot for expanded storage or 5G connectivity. One other wrinkle concerning the Surface Duo is that the device is rumored to come with a relatively small 3,460 mAh battery, which doesn't seem like a lot for a device that has to power a SD855 and dual screens.
On the other hand, the Galaxy Fold 2 will likely suck all of the oxygen out of the room with its 120Hz 7.7-inch (2213x1689) folding primary display and 6.23-inch (2267x819) cover display, if the rumors are accurate. The Galaxy Fold 2 will likely serve as the true "flagship" of Samsung's smartphone family, so it’s almost certain that the device will be powered by the Snapdragon 865 SoC, which comes mandatorily paired with the Snapdragon X55 5G modem.
Given what the Galaxy Fold 2 will bring to the table with respect to specs and its trick folding display, Microsoft almost has no choice but to release the Surface Duo prior to August 5th (the rumored launch date for the Galaxy Fold 2). If Microsoft releases the Surface Duo after the Galaxy Fold 2, it will likely look inadequate in comparison (at least on paper) unless it can seriously undercut on pricing.
What say you HotHardware readers, what folding smartphone are you most looking forward to in 2020?
