Alleged images of Microsoft Surface Duo 2 dual-screen Android device leak
Microsoft has been broadly believed to be working on the second iteration of its dual-screen Surface Duo mobile device running Android. On July 26, alleged images of that device leaked via a YouTube video. The images indicate the Duo 2 may be getting a much-improved camera set-up when the device debuts, possibly this fall.
The supposed Duo 2 device video shows it sporting three external cameras, with an ultrawide, telephoto and standard lens. Windows Central's Zac Bowden, who has been keeping up with every twist and turn regarding the Duo devices, says he believes the images are legitimate. If the new camera setup is real, it will likely go a long way in addressing one of the biggest disappointments of the first Surface Duo device: The very mediocre and hard-to-operate camera.
Again, if the camera setup is real, it will be interesting to see what Microsoft does, if anything, to make the bump not bothersome to those who fold back the Duo screen.
The leaked images also indicate that the Duo 2 may come in both white and black colors. Its fingerprint reader will be removed and possibly embedded into the power button, Bowden notes.
Like most of the initial group of Surface Duo 1 testers, I found the original Duo's hardware to be good. Still, the software experience to be sub-par and poorly integrated with the Android OS. So I am a lot more curious about what Microsoft will do with the Duo 2 to fix this experience than any hardware changes.
If Microsoft follows usual patterns, the Surface team will likely hold a fall launch (around October) for new devices, likely the Duo 2 among them, in time for holiday sales. October is also when Microsoft is expected to begin rolling out to mainstream users Windows 11. That makes me wonder whether we could see some kind of new Surface optimized for Windows 11 this fall, as well -- maybe even an updated and improved version of the dual-screen Surface Neo (which originally was slated to run Windows 10X). We'll see...