10 Burning Microsoft Surface Duo Questions We Need Answered Before It Goes On Sale

The devil is in the details.

- Michael Simon

Look out Samsung Galaxy S11, iPhone 12, and Google Pixel 5: There’s a new kid in town—or at least there will be, by the time all of those phones launch in 2020. Microsoft recently gave us a sneak peek of the Surface Duo (go.pcworld. com/sduo), its first phone since the ill-fated Windows Phone, and it’s unique.

Something of a cross between a laptop and a Galaxy Fold, the Surface Duo is a device with more questions than answers. What we know for sure is that it runs Android and needs to be opened like a laptop to be used, but there are so many more things we need to know before it goes on sale late next year, like:

1. WHAT’S THE RESOLUTION OF THE SURFACE DUO DISPLAYS?

The centerpiece of the Surface Duo is obviously the dual display. Microsoft revealed that the phone uses a pair of 5.6-inch screens. But that’s all we know about them. Are they 2K resolution like the Surface Pro X (go. pcworld.com/pr0x) or Quad HD like the Galaxy Note 10+ (go.pcworld. com/glnt)? Are they OLED or PixelSense IGZO screens? Are they 60Hz or 90Hz? Can you watch a movie full-screen and have it span across the hinge? Smartphone display tech has advanced in leaps and bounds since the days of the Windows Phone, so the Surface Duo needs to start with a killer screen.

2. WHAT KIND OF PROCESSOR WILL IT USE?