Microsoft Surface Duo Will Cost $1,399 on September 10

Image of the Microsoft Surface Duo
(Image credit: Microsoft)

Microsoft has finally pulled the wraps off of the Surface Duo, its Android-based foldable (that it won't call a phone). It will start at $1,399 for a 128GB model when it launches on September 10. Microsoft made the announcement in a blog post this morning.

That price puts it among the most expensive phones on the market (it's $1,499 for the 256GB model). Some of that is due to the Surface name, as well as the fact that you're getting two screens that total 8.1-inches when the device is open. But with a last-gen Snapdragon 855 processor, it's a bit behind on compute.

The Surface Duo's two 5.6-inch displays are both 1800 x 1350 resolution AMOLED screens that Microsoft has dubbed "PixelSense Fusion." They should work with any Surface Pen (not included).

The not-a-phone is also coming with an 11MP camera, 6GB of RAM and a 3,577 mAh battery.

At 4.8mm (0.2 inch) when opened, Microsoft is calling this the thinnest Surface Device ever.

Microsoft's Surface Duo will support LTE on AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon in the United States, but availability and carriers have not yet been announced worldwide. The Duo will be available for pre-order at  Microsoft's online store, AT&T and Best Buy.

This is also the first piece of Surface hardware to run something other than Windows. It's full-on Android, including Google Search, Google Calendar and the Play Store. But Microsoft has also included a bunch of its own software, including Office apps, OneDrive, Edge, Teams and LinkedIn. That's where we're most interested: to see how this portable device fits into our daily lives and integrates with our workflow when we get back to our computers.


The Surface Duo is Microsoft's first foldable. It was announced alongside the Surface Neo, a Windows foldable at an event in October, but the Neo has seemingly been shelved while the company continues to work on Windows 10X.

For a long time, a project called Andromeda, thought to be a Windows-based, pocketable foldable, was rumored, seemingly taking up the mantle of the canceled Courier.

Andrew E. Freedman is a senior editor at Tom's Hardware focusing on laptops, desktops and gaming. He also keeps up with the latest news. A lover of all things gaming and tech, his previous work has shown up in Tom's Guide, Laptop Mag, Kotaku, PCMag and Complex, among others. Follow him on Threads @FreedmanAE and Mastodon @FreedmanAE.mastodon.social.

  • cknobman
    Not sure what Microsofts approach is here but at that price point it seems doomed to fail.

    Seems like this should be a $700 device.
    Reply
  • Jimbojan
    That is what you wish. But Microsoft is out to make a killing. Why wouldn't it?!
    Reply
  • husker
    I used to hold a tablet up to my ear and pretend to answer a phone call. It usually got a good laugh. In the name of all things holy, please use the speaker or ear buds when making calls on this thing.
    Reply
  • Chung Leong
    cknobman said:
    Not sure what Microsofts approach is here but at that price point it seems doomed to fail.

    Seems like this should be a $700 device.

    I'm not sure if they can sell it at any price. Who wants a phone-sized device that works poorly as a phone? Single-hand operation is an essential requirement for most people.
    Reply
  • nofanneeded
    I would not pay $700 for this device what $1300 ? it is not a real expensive folded screen ... for what MS ? for what exactly ?
    Reply
  • bwohl
    A Microsoft Surface device running Android... this must be 2020.....
    Reply
  • Alvar "Miles" Udell
    At that price you're better off getting LG's faux dual screen phone, the LG V60...
    Reply
  • TechLurker
    I'd be interested in something like this more as a proper folding tablet rather than a phablet. Could unfold for full dual-screen use for reading, on-the-go productivity, movie viewing, or novelty gaming, then be stowed away more easily than a regular tablet.
    Reply
  • Giroro
    What can this do that can't be done twice as well on two $700 phones?

    The people who set prices on surface products are so out of touch, it's ridiculous.
    But, they do live in a city where the cheapest possible (fast-food) lunch costs $18... Which they still don't know about because Microsoft caters 3 meals a day.
    Reply