Surface Duo is (effectively) dead, but you can get a Samsung Galaxy Fold 5 instead

News
By Sean Endicott
published

Those abandoned by Microsoft can pick up a foldable from a company that supports devices.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5
(Image credit: Daniel Rubino)

What you need to know

  • Samsung launched its Galaxy Z Flip 5, Galaxy Z Fold 5, Galaxy Tab S9 family of tablets, and Galaxy Watch 6 today.
  • The new Galaxy devices have launch-day offers, such as trade-ins, and many of them come with other perks like Microsoft 365 and YouTube Premium.
  • Many Surface Duo owners are looking for a new foldable since Microsoft has seemingly abandoned the Surface Duo and Surface Duo 2.

Samsung unveiled a plethora of devices at its Galaxy Unpacked event earlier this year. The Galaxy Z Flip 5, Galaxy Z Fold 5, Galaxy Watch 6 family, and Galaxy Tab S9 family all refresh specs across the board and feature refined designs. We've seen quite a bit of buzz about the hardware, and some members of our team have even placed preorders. The wait is finally over, as the new Galaxy devices start shipping today.

While Samsung's phones and tablets run Android, they complement Windows well. A large number of PC users have Android phones, and Samsung and Microsoft have worked to bring those two kinds of devices closer together. Some Phone Link features are exclusive to Samsung hardware and a handful of Microsoft apps come preinstalled on Samsung phones.

Like all Android phones, Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 work with Microsoft's suite of applications. Both the Z Fold 5 and Z Flip 5 come with four free months of Microsoft 365 Basic. In addition to that Microsoft-centric perk, the phones are bundled with four months of YouTube Premium and two months of Adobe Lightroom.

Galaxy Z Fold 5

Official product renders of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is the multitasking machine you need. It's perfect for work, play, and everything in between.

The Galaxy Z Fold 5 builds on four previous generations of Samsung foldables. It features an outer display for regular phone use and a foldable screen that lets you use the device as a tablet. It has an improved hinge over the Z Fold 4 and runs on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy.

The 7.6-inch AMOLED display is built for multitasking and spanning content across the entire screen, though you'll get some letterboxing depending on the aspect ratio of videos you watch. S Pen cases for the device are slimmer, as is the pen itself.

Overall improvements to the hinge and processor make the Galaxy Z Fold 5 a good entry point for those new to foldables, though Android Central's Nicholas Sutrich says it's arguably not worth upgrading if you already have the Z Fold 4.

The Galaxy Z Fold 5 starts at $1,799.99. You can save up to $1,000 with an eligible trade-in.

Galaxy Z Flip 5

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 in Mint
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5

The new Galaxy Z Flip 5 is the latest foldable from Samsung, featuring a prominent cover display that lets you get more done without opening the phone. The Z Flip 5 also comes with a new flagship processor, a streamlined hinge design, and improved cameras.

The Galaxy Z Flip 5 received a bigger upgrade than its folding sibling. The Z Flip 5 has a Flex Window that's dramatically larger than its predecessor's. It also runs on a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, which "performs like a champ," according to Android Central's Galaxy Z Flip 5 review.

impressive cameras, a sleek design, and water resistance round out an all-around impressive foldable from Samsung. It's earned high marks from reviewers, many of which focus on the larger Flex Window.

The Galaxy Z Flip 5 is also a vertical foldable, meaning it flips shut into a tiny rectangle that's easier to fit into a pocket. You can then open it up to look like a "normal" phone. There are other clamshell flip phones from Motorola, OPPO, Vivo, and other companies, but the Z Flip 5 has the fastest processor in the category.

The Galaxy Z Flip 5 starts at $999.99. It also has trade-in offers, but they max out at $600.

Galaxy Tab S9

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Series

With an IP68 rating, 120Hz OLED display, waterproof S Pen with just 2.9ms latency, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chip with top-tier performance, and extra battery capacity, the Galaxy Tab S9 is a significant step up compared to the Tab S8.

There are several Galaxy Tab S9 tablets available starting today. The lineup starts at $799.99 for the base-model Galaxy Tab S9, but you can also opt for the Galaxy Tab S9+ or Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra. The flagship Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra features a massive 14.6-inch AMOLED 2x display with a refresh rate of 120Hz. It also runs on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy that ships in Samsung's flagship phones.

I broke down all of the Galaxy Tab S9 models when Samsung announced them last month, so make sure to check out the full specs before picking one up.

Launch offers for the Galaxy Tab S9 series are different than those of Samsung's phones. You can get a free Book Cover Keyboard that turns the tablets into a laptop when you purchase a Tab S9 or Tab S9+.

Galaxy Watch 6

Official product renders of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6
Samsung Galaxy Watch 6

The new Galaxy Watch 6 is the latest smartwatch from Samsung, sporting a faster processor, more RAM, and the latest Wear OS 4 software with tons of new features. It also has a bigger screen to enjoy all your apps with and connects seamlessly to your Galaxy smartphone, like the new Z Flip 5.

Lastly, Samsung unveiled a pair of smartwatches in the Galaxy Watch 6 and Galaxy Watch 6 Classic. The Galaxy Watch 6 Classic stood out because it brought back the popular rotating bezels that were removed with the previous generation.

You can get up to $250 off the Galaxy Watch 6 or Galaxy Watch 6 Classic with an eligible trade-in. That's a considerable discount considering the smartwatches start at $299.99.

Sean Endicott
Sean Endicott
News Writer and apps editor

Sean Endicott brings nearly a decade of experience covering Microsoft and Windows news to Windows Central. He joined our team in 2017 as an app reviewer and now heads up our day-to-day news coverage. If you have a news tip or an app to review, hit him up at sean.endicott@futurenet.com.

6 Comments Comment from the forums
  • Iamdumbguy
    The prices are just outrageous though. The only thing they update on these things is the camera, and they didn't even do that this time.
    Reply
  • CosmicTourist
    Microsoft has done it again...released a phone product and then immediately orphaned it by not doing ANYTHING to promote it, leaving it to die on the vine, just like Windows Phone 7, Windows Phone 8 and Windows Phone 10. All those other phones could have made their mark on the smartphone market with a little help from Microsoft in the promotion department. They may never have been the top dog, but they could have established themselves as a major player with a user interface unlike any of the other vendors and compatibility with existing Windows PC's that would have been the envy of all the other phone makers.
    But no, Microsoft screwed over its customers by selling them a product they apparently never had any intention of trying to help it succeed. I made the mistake of trusting Microsoft to support the products they sell when I purchased a Windows 8 phone and then a Windows 10 phone. Little did I know that Satya Nadella would conclude (erroneously) that there was no place for a third smartphone OS in the marketplace. His lack of vision still sticks in my craw to this day...a defeat snatched from the jaws of victory.
    Reply
  • waynejk
    Sorry but the Google Fold seems like a better fit for Surface Duo users looking to make a switch. Although now that I think of it, can anyone out there post a video review of how the Microsoft Launcher runs on either of these devices in comparison to the Duo 1 or 2?
    Reply
  • Cmndr_Bytes
    CosmicTourist said:
    Microsoft has done it again...released a phone product and then immediately orphaned it by not doing ANYTHING to promote it, leaving it to die on the vine, just like Windows Phone 7, Windows Phone 8 and Windows Phone 10. All those other phones could have made their mark on the smartphone market with a little help from Microsoft in the promotion department. They may never have been the top dog, but they could have established themselves as a major player with a user interface unlike any of the other vendors and compatibility with existing Windows PC's that would have been the envy of all the other phone makers.
    But no, Microsoft screwed over its customers by selling them a product they apparently never had any intention of trying to help it succeed. I made the mistake of trusting Microsoft to support the products they sell when I purchased a Windows 8 phone and then a Windows 10 phone. Little did I know that Satya Nadella would conclude (erroneously) that there was no place for a third smartphone OS in the marketplace. His lack of vision still sticks in my craw to this day...a defeat snatched from the jaws of victory.
    I and my craw completely agree with you. What truly infuriated me during the Win 10 phone time was when MS would update their own apps on iphone's and andriod's before they would do their own! Sometimes never even updating them in the Win phones.
    "There's an app gap." Hello! You're a software company! Build the apps yourself!!!
    I am still looking for a third option for a smartphone in this marketplace. And don't say no one can unseat the iPhone. That's what was said about blackberry until someone built something better.
    Reply
  • CosmicTourist
    Cmndr_Bytes said:
    I and my craw completely agree with you. What truly infuriated me during the Win 10 phone time was when MS would update their own apps on iphone's and andriod's before they would do their own! Sometimes never even updating them in the Win phones.
    "There's an app gap." Hello! You're a software company! Build the apps yourself!!!
    I am still looking for a third option for a smartphone in this marketplace. And don't say no one can unseat the iPhone. That's what was said about blackberry until someone built something better.
    I have purchased a Librem 5 Linux phone . It is still a work in progress, but it does protect your privacy when you want by having hardware switches to kill the microphone, wi-fi and cellular service individually. And...most importantly to me...it does not have some giant corporation with an insatiable thirst for your personal data because of the open source OS, and Linux has not made connecting your device to every other device on the planet be default (whether you like it or not) their goal.
    Reply
  • Iamdumbguy
    CosmicTourist said:
    I have purchased a Librem 5 Linux phone . It is still a work in progress, but it does protect your privacy when you want by having hardware switches to kill the microphone, wi-fi and cellular service individually. And...most importantly to me...it does not have some giant corporation with an insatiable thirst for your personal data because of the open source OS, and Linux has not made connecting your device to every other device on the planet be default (whether you like it or not) their goal.
    The problem with all phones is that they're just computers, not gadgets. The Librem 5 is even more of just a computer. They make it a point of pride on their website that Firefox is just Linux desktop Firefox. Uhhh great... I love connecting 5" displays to my desktop.
    Reply