Microsoft today held a launch event that saw the US company released several interesting products. One of the major highlights was the launch of the Microsoft Surface Duo 2. The foldable phone takes over from the Surface Duo that was launched last year but is still basically a dual-screen-totting phone.

The Surface Duo 2 features the same impressive folding design heralded by the first-gen Surface Duo but it comes with several improvements. The Surface Duo left many persons disappointed with some of its components. Microsoft improved on the build and addressed the complaints by fans. The company also included features that make it easy to share stuff between the two displays.

The Surface Duo 2 sports a bigger dual-screen setup with both displays coming in at 8.3 inches and support for a 90Hz refresh rate. The display has a slight curve on the screen allowing users to check the time or view missed notifications without flipping the device open. The dual-screen is also covered by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass. The two displays are connected by a hinge that allows you to open it like a book or prop it up like a tent.

The device is powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor which is a big upgrade over the Snapdragon 855 chip utilized by the first-gen Surface Duo. The processor brings support for 5G connectivity, yet another big boost over the Surface Duo which only supported 4G connectivity. Microsoft claims the Duo 2 is the thinnest 5G device on the market. The processor is paired with 8GB of RAM while there are 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB storage options.

The phone now packs a triple rear camera setup which includes a standard 12MP wide-angle, a 16MP ultrawide, and a 12MP telephoto camera system. The front camera is a 12MP sensor. You also get optical image stabilization (OIS) on the main and telephoto lenses of the device. The phone also comes with NFC for contactless payment.

The interface is optimized to allow for more functionality between the two displays. The company revealed that about 150 games, including Asphalt Legends 9, Modern Combat 5, and Dungeon Hunter 5, are optimized for using one screen as a controller while viewing the game itself on the other screen.

The Surface Duo 2 retains the white paint job featured on the first-gen model but also comes in a black color option. The dual-screen phone is already up for pre-order in the US, UK, Canada, France, Germany, and Japan and will start shipping on October 21. It starts at $1,499 for the 128GB version while the 256GB storage version will retail for $1599. The top-end 512GB storage version carries a hefty price tag of $1,799.

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Microsoft unveiled the Surface Duo last year and it still runs on the older Android 10 OS with Microsoft launcher on top of it. Now, the company is expected to launch Microsoft Surface Duo 2 this year with an upgraded specs sheet and an improved UI. New leaks suggest that the company will bring major improvements to the Microsoft launcher and also sheds light on the phone’s specs.

According to WindowsLatest, Microsoft is planning to optimize the Microsoft launcher especially for the upcoming Surface Duo 2. Additionally, Microsoft’s Program manager Vishnu Nath revealed on Twitter that new updates to the launcher are coming. He also inexplicitly agreed to the ongoing October launch rumors of the next Duo.

Speaking of the Microsoft launcher, it is expected to bring some new features and some of those could be inspired by Android 11 OS. As said earlier, the current Microsoft Surface Duo runs on Android 10 OS, but it will also get the upgraded Microsoft launcher(Android 11) later after the launch.

Apart from this, the Microsoft Surface Duo is expected to come with major camera upgrades. It will come with triple rear cameras featuring a main lens, a telephoto sensor, and an ultra-wide lens. As per recent leaks, it will have the same folding design as the original Duo but will be upgraded in performance.

Rumors are rife that it will come powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC and will have NFC and 5G support.

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