Surface Neo and Surface Duo: Microsoft’s New Range of Dual Screen Devices

Microsoft recently unveiled the Surface Neo and Surface Duo range of devices. The Surface range of device has definitely brought Microsoft back in the reckoning among tech enthusiasts and industry insiders. People have slowly started to look at Microsoft as a company that bring unseen technologies in a powerful handheld form-factor. Both the devices are definitely going to change the way we all multi-task on a hand-held device.

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Both the Surface Neo and Surface Duo seem similar on first look. They are dual screen devices. You can use both the screens for different tasks at the same time! Imagine you are surfing Facebook and viewing Netflix at the same time on a single device! Microsoft has indeed brought some revolution to the handheld portable device industry. But both are different devices built for different tasks and different set of users.

Microsoft officially announces the Duo as the First Dual Screen device that can fit into your pocket and I cannot help but compare this to the memories of the landmark launch of the first iPod by Apple in 2001. The primary difference between the Surface Neo and Surface Duo is that the Neo is a Windows powered device while the Duo is powered by Android. This provides the flexibility to double up both as a powerful handheld device and a phone. Microsoft has developed a completely new operating system that they call Windows 10X. This OS is designed specifically to meet the requirements of a dual screen device. So this makes the Surface Neo a more viable laptop replacement than the Surface Duo.

The Neo has two different 9” screen connected with a hinge. When you fully unfold the device, it will have a 13” screen for better viewing experience. You can use the keyboard and a trackpad that comes with the device and with that it becomes almost as powerful and capable as any other Surface Laptops. You also get the all new pen along with the device and designers and artists are definitely going to love the device. The Surface Duo on the other hand has two 5.6” super thin displays that combine to give you a screen space of 8.3”.

One thing that keeps the buyers guessing though is the battery life of the devices. There is no official announcement from Microsoft stating the battery life of both the devices. However, some unofficial sources claim that with moderate usage the devices can run for a whole day before you need to plug in a charger. Realistically we can expect over 13 hours of battery life from the Surface Neo while the Surface Duo might last a full day as it is powered by android operating system.

With the Surface Duo, Microsoft has re-entered into the mobile device space. There is no official confirmation on the price of both the devices. However, one can easily guess that the company would put a premium price to the devices. Both the devices are slated to hit the stores on Holidays 2020 and clearly we are all excited to get our hands on our favorite Microsoft Surface device.

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