Here is an experience that makes me think what was up to now.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 and Huawei Mate XS, folding smartphones, have already entered the next generation, but Microsoft (Microsoft) has released a folding smartphone Surface Duo on September 10.However, as this folding is a bit different from others, Surface Duo is a device that enables powerful multitasking that makes full use of dual screen rather than folding.It may be the momentum that protrudes.Cool character Gizmodo's mobile turn, Sam Rutherford reporter, has even said "revolution", but what is not normal?Please review the Rutherford reporter below!
Microsoft's Surface Duo is the most appreciated smartphone that I remember recently.But when I actually used it, I wasn't convinced that the spicy evaluation, skepticism, or mere disgust for Surface Duo was overwhelmed.
In other words, think a little.I don't say that Surface Duo is for everyone, but in the case of a personal computer, it is clear that dual screen has benefits.The space on the screen that can be used in all apps is expanded, the file can be dragged quickly, and the multitasking is also powerful.On the other hand, when it comes to "dual screen smartphones", the device is a devil, or is excluded or stupid.However, now that the main computer that everyone uses is not a personal computer, it is a smartphone, but it seems that the feeling that "I want two PCs but I don't need it on my smartphone" is going back to the times.
Microsoft Surface Duo
What is this?: From Microsoft, dual screen smartphone equipped with Android
Price: $ 1,400 (about 148,000 yen, if the storage is increased to 256GB, $ 1,500 ≒ about 159,000 yen)
Favorite place: Dual 5.6 -inch AMOLED display, powerful battery life, beautiful creation, innovative design, excellent multitasking, Kindle application, Microsoft App.
I don't like it: Very expensive, many bugs, the performance is not surprising, difficult to use, the specifications are not so large for the price, there is no water resistance, wireless charging, no NFC.
That's exactly the turn of Surface Duo.Compared to dual screen smartphones such as ZTE AXON M and LG G8X, Surface Duo seems to be the first smartphone with two screens from the root.However, as Surface Duo is trying to create a new genre of smartphones, it seems that the Android application -diveropper and Microsoft as a terminal manufacturer still need more learning.And the user needs to get used to the benefits of Surface Duo, but it's not really easy, and it costs $ 1400 (about 148,000 yen), but it's too experimental.To do.But when a new device revolutionizes, it's almost like that.
Design: overtaking elegance
The success of Surface Duo depends greatly on the design, but what you notice while using it is how much consideration that assumes various scenes is reflected in the design of the design.Unlike Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2, which has a thickness of 16.8mm when folded, Surface Duo is folded between the screens and is 9.9mm.The thickness of each screen is 4.8mm, and it has the impression that it is "thin" whether it is spread or folded, but that is the reaction that Microsoft is looking for.
The exterior is clean and clean, with the Microsoft logo buried in the glass, the USB-C port at the bottom, the sides of the side, and the normal power button and the volume button.
But the parts that are not visible from the outside are as important.Unlike a normal smartphone, Surface Duo has a sensor or accelerator on both the back of both screens, automatically recognizes what position the main unit is, and can respond immediately to various modes.The position is, for example, whether it is closed, it is open like a tent, it is placed on the table like a mini lap top, or if only one screen is used by turning 360 degrees.
Although it is a Surface Duo that can be used in various shapes, there is a sense of balance in balance no matter how you move it, and when it is completely opened, the center of gravity is placed so that it comes below the hinge, so it feels like a full -fledged chef knife.To do.If you put your thumb under the hinge of Surface Duo, it will fit in your hands very naturally like a real book.
And this hinge.There is a constant resistance and can be independent at any angle, and there is a cable that exchanges electricity and data inside, but it does not hurt or twisted by opening and closing.
The 5.6 -inch 5.6 -inch AMOLED display of 4: 3 is also considered.It feels somewhat wide and strangely large compared to 18: 9 or 21: 9 recently, but this width is fully active in multitasking.
However, there are some that have been excluded for this thinness and smartness.In order to make it so thin, I had to cut off NFC support, wireless charging, storage expansion, and waterproofness, which is standard for smartphones that exceed 100,000 yen.In addition, there is only one camera lens, and it is only on the screen side, so if you try to take a picture, it will be troublesome.Details about the camera will be later.
Surface Duo is large for both vertical and horizontal, but it is an incredibly and elaborate device due to its thinness.Because of this thinness, I realize the Surface Duo -like character every time I use it.If Surface Duo will evolve in the future, I hope that even if the actual thickness increases slightly, the standard function will be firmly placed while keeping the feeling of thinness as it is.
Software: Evolved language for the post -smartphone era
Surface Duo is a real Surface Duo -duo -like Surface Duo -duo altar, which is a real Surface Duo altar, called "Microsoft You Love With with with the Android You Know), with" Microsoft You Love With with the Android You Know, together with Android, who is familiar with everyone, is a Surface Duo album. "。A familiar Android gesture is mixed with a flat, Boxy UI of Windows 10.But in addition, Surface Duo's unique evolution has been added to Android's gesture language to make multi -tasking using dual screen more comfortable.
By modifying the gesture language, Microsoft is going into an unexplored land in a sense, and users and Microsoft (and both partnerships with Google) will learn while moving forward.For example, you can go to the home screen by swipe from the bottom of the screen, but you can only swipe from the side and return, only one side.In dual screen mode, you have to swipe from the hinge part, but this is not only a bad fit, but also difficult to do.In other words, it takes time to get used to it because you can use swipes depending on the mode, and because there are many modes.
In addition, there is a new gesture such as grabbing a small tab under the app, and when you do this, the application on one screen suddenly spreads on both screens.This not only changes the appearance and functions of the app, but also designs new behavior, and Microsoft itself has expanded the UI of apps such as Outlook and PowerPoint, and can fully use the Surface Duo dual screen.In the case of apps that support that much, the usage will change dramatically.The problem, however, is that the concept of dual screen smartphones is still new, so it takes time for app developers other than Microsoft to master it.The third -party apps that can use this function are only Kindle or image editing Mylio, and the rest is only Microsoft genuine app.
Other new things can be flicked with one thumb from one screen from one screen to another screen.Easy and intuitive, much more elegant than LG or other dual screen smartphone screen control pop -up menus.However, Surface Duo is the first smartphone that requires such a gesture or operation, so it does not always move as intended.This is also a matter of getting used to in many ways, but the hurdle is higher than using other smartphones.But when I can move it as expected, it's okay!I feel like that.
Multitasking: The best for business, convenient at home
Surface Duo's multitasking ability is not enough to say "strength".This is basically a completely unknown experience.In the first place, what I had called "multitasking" on my smartphone seems to have been a true multitasking.Certainly, another app may be moving behind one app, but it is not two things at the same time.In fact, we only do all the movements one by one.
For example, let's say you are reading a news article, finding the part that came a lot or a laughing ame, and wanted to share it to people. In that case, first highlight the text part, copy it, return to the platform in the upper swipe, tap the messaging app you want to use, paste the text, and press the transmission. This is not a multitasking, just stepping on the steps. Or you may use the shared menu in the app, but in that case the tray opens from the bottom of the screen, and the other part of the screen becomes dark and cannot be used. If you say that you are a normal one -screen smartphone that is close to a true multitasking, you can see videos on a small screen while doing something else, doing something else. 。
But in Surface Duo, you can really move another app at the same time. Alternatively, if you use the Microsoft App Groups feature, you can launch two apps simultaneously by pressing once. If you use any of Microsoft 365 or Edge, you can drag and drop textbooks, and your dreams have been realized. While launching Slack on one screen, you can check the email on the other screen or put the material in the shopping list to see the recipe. Surface Duo is a mulch in the sense of a form, and can be used as a mini lap top, so you can put it in the kitchen when cooking, see recipes, or use it as a game console. You can tweet live while streaming some videos on one screen, which can be better than any other device. It is a multitasking that has never been before.
In Surface Duo, if there is nothing on the other screen while opening the application on one screen, you can open a new application on the vacant screen simply by clicking one link, and you can make full use of the screen.This will open more possibilities for Surface Duo for creative work.For example, when writing an article on one side (I don't usually think about writing an article on a smartphone in the first place), there is no need to close the screen I am writing to open a reference or link, and the other screen is the other screen.It is OK if you use it.Yes, multitasking is the true value of Surface Duo.Of course, you don't always use 100 % of both screens, but using a dual screen for work is the same as increasing productivity, and it is efficient to arrange two apps on smartphones.
The only strange thing is that there is no function to mirror the contents of another screen to another screen.I don't think it's convenient to share a video with someone or to show the other person while taking a picture of someone, so how do you do it?But the voices of wanting this feature have been raised elsewhere, so it may be added in the future.
Performance: OK, but it should have been better (be careful with bugs)
The funny thing about Surface Duo is that the hardware inside is less than the higher price of the existing premium smartphones.The processor is Snapdragon 855, the RAM is 6GB, the storage is 128GB (there is also a 256GB version), is it 2019 rather than 2020?It is the specification.Rather, last year's Google Pixel 4 was just 64GB of the base storage, but the rest was the same.
That's why the Surface Duo specifications are not completely outdated, but if you do a benchmark test such as WebXPRT 2015 or Geekbench 5, you can see that the performance is about 15-25 % lower than the 2020 flagship smartphone.increase.In addition, the delicate lag for the two screens is added, and most of the movements are fast, but sometimes not as expected.
These issues are likely to be resolved in the future due to patches and software optimization, but the updates pushed before the official release have actually improved a lot of stability and reactions, but the problem is not just speed.is.There is a bug, so too.
Well, I think that there are some aspects that I'm inducing from being unfamiliar with Surface Duo.It is difficult to learn and digest a newly created operation system for dual screen, so there are some mistakes coming from there.Nevertheless, the screen rotated in unintended situations, did not want to rotate, but did not respond even if swiped, and the app hanged or crashed.Sometimes the wallpaper disappeared and did not return to restart.When I was playing GUNBOUND, I encountered a bug that the home screen could see through from the background of the game.
But the most irritated bug was in the Kindle app.The dual screen dedicated UI of this app looks like a real book, but it has been repeated when it seems to work, do not work, or be OK.I personally think that it is better to do such a bug, and I think it is better not to try a new type of smartphone.But at the same time, I can't criticize those who don't want to encounter such a bug, especially those who don't want to be disturbed by bugs when reading in Surface Duo.
Camera: Surface Duo blind spot
To be honest, the feeling of use of Surface Duo's camera is the weakest in the overall experience of Surface Duo.The camera is on the right side display, so it is relatively easy to take self -portraits and video calls.But in everything else, Surface Duo's only camera is difficult to handle, and it is easy to take pictures that can be taken.Especially in dark environments.
In the first place, Surface Duo requires many steps to make the shutter button pressed.First, open the screen fully, open the camera app, set the selfie mode, then turn the main body in reverse, bring the lens that is usually facing your side to the subject side ...。For the time being, if the acceleration sensor of Surface Duo does not recognize this crunchy movement properly, it will not be in other shooting mode, that is, the camera application including the shutter button.This is because nothing is displayed on the screen that is suitable for you.What do you do ... this is it.
That's why it takes a lot of time to use a camera.As you do, you will gradually know how you can take a picture, but you may still fail.For those who want to take a moment of pets and children, thanks to this specification, they will miss photos that would have been taken with other smartphones.
But the more problematic is the quality of the photos you can take.Like a modern smartphone camera, you can take some photos in Surface Duo in a bright place, but compared to other premium smartphones, it is inferior in terms of sharpness and color saturation.There is no zoom lens, so if you expand the 11 -megapixel photos that are not so deep, you will soon see pixels.If you take a picture in an environment with less light, the image quality will quickly fall, and it will become a prominent picture of pixels that are blurry and dark.
In the night view of New York, Surface Duo is a noise image that does not collect enough light, even if you turn it off with Pixel 4 XL.Furthermore, the difference is obvious compared to Night Sight -on, and it looks like a smartphone many years ago.In the dark place, it is almost like this, and when compared to Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 2, the appearance of skate parks and owls Aozora Bunko is completely different.If you look at the photo of Galaxy Z Fold 2, you can see that there are quite a few light sources around.
In fact, the dark photos of Surface Duo were too bad to compare them with premium smartphones, so I took a night with a low -cost smartphone and Moto G Power of $ 250 (about 26,000 yen).But Surface Duo was defeated there.I compared the night road, graffiti, and flowers in the neighborhood, but it did not reach the image quality of Moto G Power, which was darker, rough, and less detailed.The best thing was the flower photo, which is slightly sharper than other photos, but the exposure is still worse.
As of April, I said that it was too early to find a Surface Duo camera, but it is already decided that this photo can be taken with a real machine, not the preceding version.Not only is the Surface Duo camera is not good, but if Microsoft aims to succeed in the mainstream, the next model will have to fix it.There is no camera outside the main unit, and there are some aspects that are clean, but I think this will not work.
Battery Life: Surprisingly long
Surface Duo's battery life is surprisingly long while moving two screens with such a thin device.When I was running only one screen, I had 12 hours and 31 minutes on the video playback test.This is only 5 minutes shorter than 12 hours and 36 minutes of Pixel 4 XL.When the two screens were turned on, it was just 11 hours, but this is a very good line with a size equivalent to 8.1 inches.
From now on: To the era of dual screen
Surface Duo is a very difficult device to review.I can't see it as one of the dual screen Android smartphones, but I don't think so.Surface Duo is a gadget that tries to embody the world's device makers and users that they can be done with a new type smartphone.
Nevertheless, most of the price of $ 1,400 (about 148,000 yen) excludes most people.Especially those who are skeptical of dual screens, those who can't stand bugs will be crazy.Surface Duo is for those who have dreamed of true multitasking on their smartphones, and those who are not inconvenient to experience it.There is no way to make such a bad smartphone photo, but that is why those who are thinking about buying Surface Duo need to know such disadvantages.
Surface Duo is a very powerful business smartphone even in the current state, even if there are drawbacks.It is almost perfectly designed so that employees can check the email and use the calendar at the same time so that they do not delay the meeting.If you are a company that spends money on Microsoft 365, the merit is one of the best, as the mobile app is optimized for Surface Duo.
But the biggest impact of Surface Duo is why the dual screen smartphone is as powerful as a dual screen computer.It is surprising in a way that it took so long for such a device to be realized.Microsoft is trying to achieve the same thing as creating a new category in the first Surface.It's not perfect, but the revolution is already happening.
summary
・ Surface Duo has pushed up a smartphone multitasking to a new level, but it takes to get used to it.
・ Stylus is not included, but supports input with the current Surface pen.
・ The camera image quality is poor, and it is very difficult to do except for selfie.
・ Although there is a bug, I feel that it is the first smartphone based on dual screen from the beginning.
・ If you use the advanced dual screen function of Surface Duo such as span and drag and drop, you will even feel like a heavenly revelation.But at present, many of these functions are only in the Microsoft app.
・ There is no NFC, wireless charging, waterproof, headphone jack.But the bumper case comes with it.
·Take a look at this article too.
