The Surface Duo 3: Is Microsoft’s lineup broken by design?

You see, the original Surface Duo was underpowered at launch because of outdated internals, plagued by unreliable software and had a pitiful camera. Worse still, the device had a serious identity crisis - it aspired to be a viable smartphone despite being a very different beast. However, the aforementioned issues, and the price point made the Surface Duo a completely inadequate handset alternative.

The problem is that Microsoft’s solution to the problem was to attempt to make the successor a better smartphone. This resulted in a whole set of new problems, including a camera bump which made using the device when folded in reverse somewhat uncomfortable. Essentially, by making the Duo 2 a superior handset, the company also made it an inferior device overall. And that is before you take into account the $1499 price tag.

Should the Surface Duo be a smartphone?

In my personal opinion, the Surface Duo lineup has a very simple problem at its heart from which all other issues stem. Namely, that the Duo is not and should not be a ’smartphone’. By this I mean that through attempting to make this device fill the shoes of a conventional daily driver, you are not only negating the novelty of the form factor, but also producing a subpar handset in the process.

This is why I think a Surface Duo 3 with a foldable screen will be nothing more than a cheap carbon copy of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4. While I still believe users in Western markets need some meaningful alternative to Samsung’s Z series, Microsoft should not be the one to provide it.

Essentially, making the Duo a de facto foldable smartphone will spell the death of the lineup as a whole and is unlikely to result in better commercial performance, especially in light of the fact that a foldable screen will make the device even more expensive than it already is. So what are the options for Microsoft? Can the Duo be saved?

The Surface Neo vs the Surface Duo: Finding a middle ground

Now would be the time to point out that the Surface Duo was actually supposed to have a bigger brother - the Surface Neo. The latter was eventually canceled, but Microsoft’s initial plans for the device were rather ambitious. The Neo was going to be a laptop-tablet hybrid, with the same dual-screen form factor, but a much bigger size footprint.

Furthermore, Microsoft was developing a custom version of Windows specifically for the Neo. It is almost sad to think that the Duo saw the light of day, but the Neo did not. Luckily, Lenovo seems to have embraced Microsoft’s revolutionary design with the Yoga Book 9i.

The thing is, the form factor that Microsoft pioneered is infinitely more applicable to laptop/tablet hybrids than to smartphones. By extension, I believe the Surface Duo would be much more successful as a tertiary device rather than as a conventional smartphone. Let me elaborate.

Saving the Surface Duo Form Factor

In my view, the winning formula for a Surface Duo 3 would be for Microsoft to reimagine the lineup as a somewhat smaller Surface Neo. The Duo will never be a capable smartphone, but it should not be a foldable knock-off either. Two different screens, each approximately the size of an iPad mini 6, slapped together in a one-of-a-kind ‘foldable’ tablet, which is not marketed as something that could replace your daily driver.

Nevertheless, let me make one thing clear: for such an approach to work, Microsoft must stick to what the company knows best - software. Only if the dual-screen form factor is backed up by a smooth operating system (preferably Windows based) can the lineup be saved. Users would have to be able to seamlessly interact with two smaller displays simultaneously, and not one that is simply split in two. Additionally, the Duo would also have to be usable as a conventional small tablet folded backwards.

The reasons why this design appeals to me are two-fold (pun intended). Firstly, it preserves and builds upon the original vision Microsoft had for the Surface Duo and Surface Neo. It takes the best of both worlds and adds some. Secondly, by repurposing the device, it can finally stop being a gimmicky smartphone. Only in this way, can the Surface Duo be something else entirely, which I believe was Microsoft’s point all along.