It might be fresh in our minds, but today marks the fourth year since Microsoft launched the ill-fated Surface Duo, starting a line of smartphones that has already seemingly died. Windows Phone fans had been clamoring for a Surface phone for years, and on Oct. 2, 2019, we got it. Unfortunately, it wasn't what most people wanted.
Of course, that wasn't all we got on that fateful day. Microsoft also announced the Surface Neo just before the Duo, a product that was never released at all.
Surface Neo: The dual-screen PC that wasn't
Microsoft's 2019 event was one of the most exciting in the company's history. There were more traditional Surface devices revealed, but Microsoft saved the bombshell announcements for the end, starting with the Surface Neo. This was the company's first dual-screen PC and, in fact, was set to be one of the first dual-screen computers in general. It featured two 9-inch screens that would combine into a larger 13-inch panel, and it was powered by brand-new Intel silicon, codenamed Lakefield, which allowed the device to be incredibly thin.
The Surface Neo was set to be powered by Windows 10X, a special version of Windows 10 that was optimized for dual screens and stripped of some legacy Windows features, like support for traditional desktop apps. Windows 10X would redesign the Windows shell dramatically, making it more modular and adaptive. For example, with the Surface Neo, you could attach a keyboard to the bottom half of the screen, and it would automatically populate with quick access to emoji and GIFs.
However, the Surface Neo never ended up hitting store shelves, and Microsoft eventually said it would refocus its efforts on single-screen PCs, which were used by everyone. Windows 10X was eventually scrapped as well, though many UI elements did end up on Windows 11 with some tweaks, like the similar Start menu and Quick Actions panel. And as for dual-screen PCs, we have seen Lenovo take up that mantle recently with the excellent Yoga Book 9i. But so far, Microsoft hasn't gone back to that concept.
Surface Duo: A mind-blowing reveal
Prior to that 2019 Surface event, pretty much everything that Microsoft was planning to announce had been revealed through leaks. Even the Surface Neo wasn't a total surprise if you followed the news cycle. When that product was revealed, everyone thought that was the end of the presentation, but then Surface chief Panos Panay had one more trick up his sleeve.
While poking fun at the reporters who uncovered all the devices prior to launch, Panay said that "if this was a symphony, it'd be missing one instrument." He then proceeded to play a video that looked like it was promoting the Surface Neo... but then we heard a ringtone. The woman in the video reaches into her purse as the camera zooms in to reveal a phone-sized slab with Microsoft's logo on it, which was all it took to blow the minds of every Windows Phone fan. We then see the phone open up to reveal two screens, offering an alternate take on something the Galaxy Fold had also launched that year.
Solving the 'app gap' with Android
Of course, some Windows Phone fans may have been taken aback when the Surface Duo was opened in the video because, as Panay later affirmed, it wasn't running any form of Windows. Instead, it was powered by the infinitely more popular Android platform. It still had a Microsoft spin, with the Microsoft Launcher and features designed to make use of two screens and mimic the experience on the Surface Neo.
If you were a fan of Windows Phone, you know how poor the situation was when it came to app support. Microsoft never managed to attract enough developers to the platform, and while it would partner with companies like Facebook to bring some support to the platform, the ecosystem never grew. Microsoft's Joe Belfiore said the company tried "very hard," including paying developers to bring their apps over, but it wasn't enough to fend off Google and Apple's duopoly.
So, Microsoft caved and used Android. This was undoubtedly better for users, but many Windows Phone diehards stood by the design language and user experience of Microsoft's platform.
Too many shortcomings
Unfortunately, switching to Android didn't do enough to overcome the problems that still plagued the Surface Duo. Microsoft advertised it as a productivity device more than a phone, but part of that meant it didn't have a remotely good camera. The front-facing camera was also the rear camera, and you had to flip one of the screens back to use it. It also used an older processor, and it started at a whopping $1,400, making it one of the most expensive phones at the time. It was significantly cheaper than a folding phone like the Samsung Galaxy Fold, but the Duo's outdated hardware still made that phone the obvious choice for most who were willing to invest that much money. Plus, most reviewers noted an incredibly buggy software experience at launch.
Microsoft would later address some of these issues with updates and with the launch of the Surface Duo 2 in 2021, but it was too little too late. By the time it launched, foldable phones had established a dominant position in the market, and Microsoft still didn't do enough to convince audiences that two screens were better than one. Plus, while things were better, the Surface Duo 2 still had its fair share of software issues at launch.
As a massive Windows Phone fan myself, it saddened me that the Surface Duo never took off, but it seemed like the writing was on the wall from the moment Microsoft launched the phone. With Panay now leaving Microsoft as the company reportedly intends to cut back on more experimental devices, there's almost no chance we'll see another Surface phone again. And that's the saddest part of all.