Will you buy Surface Duo for $1,400? (poll)

The video is impressive though. Panos is convincing.

True its mediocre device with mediocre specs from cpu, ram,battery to camera module plus no NFC (im using it for payments at stores) ? Come on !.

Every other device is less functionally different outside of the fold but we all know the compromises being made there... So if this is mediocre, what is everything else that's only had iterations since 2007?

I think it's worth it. I'm definitely buying it .

Yes. Just deciding between 256 vs 125 gb. Too bad they didn't include more accessories at that price.

If you do go for it, I would say definitely 256 gb considering it is only $100 bucks pricier and the Duo has no SD card. I think you will at the least get that difference back when you sell it some day.

Pre-ordered the 256GB, plus surface slim pen and complete care. Been waiting years for this device. Only stopped using WP just over 1.5 yr ago and transitioned to Huawei Mate 20 Pro which is a fantastic phone with an excellent camera, and battery life. Got used to using Android with MS launcher. I find the Kirin 980 chip fast enough and the Qualcomm 855 in Duo is actually faster. Won't match the Huawei in camera or battery life, but the new form factor will be useful for work and play.

I have the mate 30 pro with the cpu comparable to the 855. There is no phone, that's day to day faster. The spec chasers are missing the point to devices which is a hindrance in mobile device growth of modern devices. The duos 855 will be plenty fine with speed. There is no android device that is pushing the max capabilities of these chips. I would dual use with duo.

Cool I wonder how good the slim pen will combo with the duo. I read somewhere else that considering you have to use the charging cradle to charge the slim pen the regular Surface Pen or Surface Hub 2 pen might be handier (/longer battery life, especially the bigger Hub 2 pen which bodies an aaa battery). The 855 is indeed a fine chip and I do not think battery life will be even that low as some other people are rumoring, just average/ok. Camera might be similar to iPhone 8 I think.

I'm going with the older regular pen since I already have it. Would it be cool to have a flat one? Yes but I also think I'll be just peachy with the one I have

Yeah the flat pen can be magnetically attached to one of the screens I believe but that is only useful if you keep the duo in a bag or such (so for most women I guess it is still useful since they have a purse). But considering the Duo also misses a charger for the pen it is not worth it yet I think. Probably next iteration.

I wouldn't want my duo charging the pen just when it's attached... Maybe if they did it where the pen could last 24 hours (I don't know how long it lasts off the top of my head) and only charged by the duo when the duo is charging, that would be fine. For the record, bags and purse aren't relogated to use only by women

"For the record, bags and purse aren't relogated to use only by women", yeah agree ^^ , I meant more that women generally use them more often.

I just went off a few days ago about the price of phones getting ridiculous after the Samsung presentation. Like 13/14/15 - 20 hundred is way to much for ANY mobile device. THESE MANUFACTURERS ARE TRIPPING!!! Im getting this day 1 😏

I completely concur with the current price of smartphones; the prices are breathtaking. Well, at least until the tech equivalent of cupid's arrow pierces our wallets. At that point it is time to get the camping gear out and head out to the nearest Microsoft store to wait for it to show up. Oh, yeah, they don't have stores anymore. Sigh. I always wanted to make a spectacle of myself by getting my mug on the TV while laying around like a rabid Apple fan. Just once. Just once. We got gypped as Microsoft fans. And no, laying around outside of a Best Buy is so absurd except Thanksgiving evening. I just found out I can get $250 for my year old Pixel 3a XL. I am like, oh, pierce my heart and wallet please.

Dang! I forgot about the store closing! I just bought a lot of camping gear for Sept 10 that I can't return because of the suspended return policy due to the global situation

I was able to be in line for the Surface RT, that was fun!

My thoughts exaclty.

After some deliberation, Im confident I'm getting this. But I've decided to wait two months. Not because of reviews (Ill make my own opinions) but because black Friday. Although I'm sure this won't be discounted (fingers crossed it will), I can imagine some bundles will be offered like with earbuds and/or pen (hoping buds bc I have old pen already. Wouldn't mind the new flat one though if that's what's offered instead of the buds). Knowing Microsoft, they'll bundle in some software instead of hardware though lol like 1 month of office 😂 My prayer to the windows central gods : please give me the strength to not walk into a bestbuy on Sept 10 and purchase the duo + earbuds + pen.

Way too much for a device with such lacklustre specs. I don't know what I'm more disappointed about - the specs or the price! I was really interested in this, but with such a small battery powering 2 screens, low RAM compared to other devices that are similar, no NFC (really??), wireless charging or even 5G, plus those thicc-ass bezels... it's like they are releasing a 4 year old device!

I said no, I wouldn't even if it was $200. So what does this poll question and answers say about our thoughts on the price as the article title suggests?

Uhh...what? IDK what you're trying to say.

He's saying the poll doesn't make sense for a lot of people...

75% of the peeps here wont buy it. (Thats the point). - And MS should know that after burning us with their consumer cuts.

I think almost all of us would buy it if it was cheaper.

Nah... There are cheaper devices that do the work most people need...

Doesn't stop Apple from selling heaps of their overpriced products. I think this is what MS wants to hopefully achieve, create a good device that does what it can do very well.

Apple phones have the best cameras and the best CPUs and they pair with, by far, the best wearable. It is hard, therefore, to argue whether they are or are not are overpriced.

Nonsense about the camera.

And the wearable...

Best camera? What year are you stuck in?

Apple at least has a foothold on a market. They own iOS and their "App Store" and don't have competition. If you want iOS, you pay the premium, even if I refuse to buy from them and don't like their OS or hardware. The Duo isn't quite that lucky. It's Android, which has a massive market. They're not the first foldable to market, or the first dual-screen to market. They're behind on a lot of basic features like NFC, wireless charging, and 5G. They're priced way above a dual-screen V60 and slightly above the Z Flip. Microsoft doesn't have enough of a unique product or a foothold in the mobile market to play the games that Apple does.

No. The price is way too high given the specs. Also given it's size, it's really meant to be a second device that dies not replace a phone, so you still have to expend big bucks on a nice phone. I could get by the lack of NFC or even 5G, but using last year's hardware for the CPU and even older hardware for the camera, I can't get by at anywhere near this price point. I also have reservations about the battery life. I love gadgets and would love to play around with one, but the price would have to be around $750-800 before I would consider purchasing one. MS got so much right, I just don't know what they were thinking using the hardware and price they choose.

I understand why they priced it where they did. I just wish they would have acted in good faith and bundled in some Earbuds and/or a pen. At $1400-1500, they do need to deliver on the experience, and I imagine that the experience is improved by those two accessories.

I'd argue that the experience borders on pointless without the pen, personally. You still have the dual-screen potential, but you can get that from LG as well. The pen experience is the differentiator. In that sense, they really should have bundled it with the device. It's similar to the Surface Pro, where the tablet is more expensive than any laptop it competes with, but then you have to pay another $100-150 for a keyboard and $100-150 for a pen, even though a lot of laptop OEMs will include a pen with your purchase.

The comparisons to that LG with an add-on screen are ridiculous.

I don't use wireless charging or NFC, so the lack of those don't bother me. My S9 has 64 GB of storage with a 64 GB sd card, so the existing storage is good enough for me. The SD855 is enough processor for my needs. 5G doesn't exist where I live. What is going to keep me from buying one is the $1400 price tag. Sadly, that more than I am looking to spend on a phone, especially already owning a Surface Pro 7. I guess I'll go check out the Pixel 4a while I wait to see what happens with a version 2 or 3.

Totally agreed. Sad, because I keep my phones for 3+years. My S8+ is 3.5 yrs old and I held out with hopes of the Duo, but I just can't/won't at that price and specs. I can't hold out for V2, so looks like I'm out until V3, V4, etc if it makes it that far.

I'm the opposite. My phone has 128 GB, but I added a 256 GB microSD card (for $40, vs. the $100 MS charges to add 128 GB of storage) because 128 wasn't going to be enough. The price tag bothers me less than the missing features. I'd pay a premium if it weren't such a compromised device. The upgrade paths are so apparent that it's highly likely the first-gen buyers will see a successor device out in a year that makes them feel like they got a really bad deal for $1,400.

I won't purchase it at that price. Now, besides that, what is the right price and what isn't is a difficult thing to establish. This is a premium, aspirational device, which brings a unique experience. There's nothing else like it.

Right price would have been 1400 if it had packed NFC and wireless charging both. If it lacks both of them then $1000-1100 would be the price most people would be fine to pay. Besides it doesn't even provide any software exclusive features or any kind of software level advantage when used in conjunction with other surface products. So even for surface users it doesn't make sense at $1400 price tag especially when that is the starting price 🤦🏻‍♂️. I mean why not have only one variant of 6+256 especially when they are cost cutting on other aspects.

It might not tie with Surface specifically, but they DO offer a unique software experience...if you pay the extra $150 for the Surface Pen. The pen experience is the differentiator between LG's dual-screen devices, and even the foldables from Samsung and others. However, MS put that selling point behind an accessory paywall.

But LG does have pen support on their dual screen devices. It's Wacom tech and has tilt support, which the Duo left out. Still confused that they made a big to do about tilt support when they brought it to the Surface and left it out on this new device.

This is priced way to high... The dual screen thing is a gimmick right now. I am not saying it does not have massive potential, just right now it is new, unproven, and gimmicky. Most of all it is new. No iPhone user is going to move to this. Now your regular android user, well they can a far more proven design with Samsung, a better camera with the Pixel, etc... Plus it is 2020 and no NFC!?!?!? For a productivity device, no one at MS thought, you know, people do use their phones to pay for things. I can almost forgive no wireless charging, but no NFC at this price point, on a productivity device!?!?! This thing needed to be a lot less expensive to entice people to try the concept. I predict this will not sell well for MS. Finally, I was expecting the Surface Neo to come in at that price. I dare to think what they are going to price that at... $2K or more? Geez...

What is the difference between a gimmick and an innovation? In my mind, a gimmick is something that is only a marginal change, like it being available in Rose Gold. Sometimes the line gets blurred... For instance, lap seat belts in cars don't really protect passengers and the car companies knew it, they were mostly a gimmick to make you think the car was safe. 3-point seat belts make a difference, maybe not an innovation, but defintely a feature. IMO, you are right to say that the two screen feature is unproven and that the lack of other competitive mobile device features are problematic when considering their asking price. I believe that this price point is a test for v2.

It's only offered on AT&T, right? That's a deal breaker for me.

It's sold unlocked through Microsoft and Best Buy. Works with all major carriers in the US and supports loads of bands.

Nope. Should've gone with WiFi-6, bezels too big and no wireless charging making it show stoppers for me. Maybe Duo2...

Of all of the missing things, WiFi 6 is the least meaningful thing to complain about. The overwhelming majority of users don't have WiFi 6 routers. Even of those who do, the vast majority of those don't even have networks that saturate the 802.11ac connection to necessitate upgrading to the ax bandwidth potential of WiFi 6. On top of that, many WiFi 6 router owners probably bought the starter-level routers (meaning you get quickly throttled on bandwidth as you move away from the router) or mesh kits (often without a dedicated backhaul and good multi-device connectivity support to stay near peak speeds) to matter. Very few people actually put up the $400-800 needed to put together a legitimately good WiFi 6 setup, let alone have the $200/month Internet plans needed to make good use of the potential speeds anyway. WiFi 6 is even more niche than 5G, in terms of real-world usability. The vast majority of the time, you're going to have the same performance as WiFi 5, maybe a little better, when doing Internet work. Besides, it's not like many people on a phone are doing data-intensive tasks to justify the high-bandwidth needs associated with WiFi 6 anyway.

Its running Android. Shudder. In 6GB. Double shudder. Not just no, but Hell No. Not even if it came with the earbuds, because I don't need more headphones.

Have you used an Android, my Note 9 has an SD845 with 6GB and that is more than enough for Android.

6 gb on a phone is more than enough I think, my current phone has 4 gb and it never lags/freezes (granted it does have Android One and most apps on the background are disabled).

No, it is not for a 2020 phone with a price tag of over $1400.
YOu must think of keeping that expensive phone for a few years to come.
It is outdated before even got released. What would it be after three years from now?

I don't think they are saying it's more than enough for the price. Just that 6GB is functional on android these days, unlike what Naddy6969 was impling.. Obviously, at $1400, this should be offering 12 or more.

For $1,400 it would have to be perfect. The lack of NFC is a deal breaker

Wanted to, but without NFC and the US only sale made it a no go for me. :(

For this price I will buy two note 9 and then I will have two screens at half the cost. Or I could buy a note 9 and a surface GO, then use phone companion.

I'm excited it came out, I'm excited for the innovation of this device and I'm excited that MS is back in the phone space! I'm disappointed in the initial pricing for no NFC, no wireless charging, no fast charging, no 5G ready, not really future-proofed for the price. Oh and it's not available in Matte Black either. Overall, I'm excited to watch the reviews and box openings and etc but I'll realistically have to wait until it comes down in price. Maybe V2 will come down in price and offer everything the V1 is missing. Time will tell.

no. Will wait for version 2.0

Nah, they're about $200 too high. I was hoping to be at $1,200 with the 256 GB model. I would have been unhappy at $1,300, but probably would have still bought it. At $1,500 for it, it's left "way too expensive, but I'll deal with it" and reached a level that I can't defend. If they have a sale at Black Friday or through a launch sale from AT&T or maybe a bundle with the Pen like the do with the Surface Pro every holiday season, I might change my tune. As-is, the device is too limited in daily functionality to justify the "productivity focus" they're talking up.

Feel exactly the same way. Hopefully, Duo 2 isn't too far behind

Exactly my feelings too concerning the price point.

Let’s not forget this is a Surface device. It will be on near continuous sale $100-200 off.

Do not trust Microsoft with consumer products anymore, especially new category, especially phone!

What makes you think this is a consumer product?

Not having a watch companion is a bummer but not having tap to pay is a deal breaker.

Can you say "no" more than once? Asking for a friend.

I really had been looking forward to buying this since last year's announcement. I can live with wide bezels, but there are too many missing premium phone features for me to justify the premium price point. Plus, looking over all my dead MS tech (Lumias, Invokes, etc.) I have to recommit to not being an MS early adopter. Maybe Duo v3 or v4?

I don't think it is really risky buying this considering it runs a mature OS and if you go in with the expectation that the bulk or 3rd party software will not support the 'spanning' feature (but most MS launcher apps will). The real problem here is indeed that it is overpriced even very noticeably compared to other Surface devices.

While I think that $1400 is too much for what you get, remember, the entire Surface line is pretty pricey for what you get in the internals too.
You are paying for the form-factor and the conveniences that brings more than for the internals of the device.
The same is true here.
This is a "Halo" device (no, not the video-game) that is specifically designed by Microsoft to prod the big OEMs (Dell, HP, Lenovo, Acer) to begin building their own interpretations of it into their product mix.
Intel has done the same thing with their "Project Athena" line (most people are not aware that Intel directly manufactures and sells laptops) but they don't do it as a revenue stream, more as a engineering prototype service so they can sell the parts to other manufacturers.
Microsoft feels that dual-screen foldables is the "next big thing" so they have put out a device to pave the way for the rest of the industry.
Seen in that light, the price makes sense (but, they should have included the Pen in the price.)

Other Surface devices are arguably better deals I think and all other Surface devices at least have very good form factors for pen usage, or completely unique form factors+specs (Book, Studio) or exceptional input (keyboard/touchpad/touchscreen, Surface Laptop). Duo does not really have that, it misses a build in pen or something like that imo. I am sure there is some use for it, but it is clearly the most overpriced Surface device. I do like your idea of "Halo" device, but I think the problem here is that MS does not deliver the hardware (like with Intel Athena) or software (like with Windows) here. They do deliver an Android skin with some cool dual screen features, but not sure if that is enough to lure any oems.
Especially considering that MS cannot currently hurt any oems with the Duo, I think they should have just released it cheaper to draw more people in their ecosystem too (considering it comes preinstalled with MS launcher / MS apps).

Point taken, but this is I believe ultimately just a "Place Holder" device that they are putting out to fill a market niche until they can get the W10x-powered Duo out the door (late 2021 at the earliest.)
It really does seem to be a half-hearted attempt at a significant new design style after all.
They did nothing to minimize the hinge area, nothing to shrink the massive bezels on the top and bottom, and nothing to the camera, no NFC, barely any "Phone" features to speak of, and very little to add in any "wow" factor. I think they are holding all that back for the Duo late next year.
They also may just be rethinking the entire "foldable" idea what with the debacle that was the Samsung Fold, and all the other "foldables" last year, none of which sold well at all.

That W10X powered Duo 2 you're talking about is exactly what I'm holding out for...!

Not gonna happen

I thought the rumor about 64 gb Duo for $1000 would have been a fair price, but this is overpriced I think compared to other foldables. If it would have come with a pen (either smaller build in or bigger firmly attached by magnets) it would have been tolerable I think. (It would have made a strong case for using software like OneNote on it or art software for final touches on a project)

I have enough burn scars MS already.

I probably wouldn't even pay this much if it was running an adapted version of Windows 10X, and that's the device I really want...

I really wanted to like this device and have more than enough spare cash to pick one up .... BUT .... knowing how MS will turn around and kill a device before properly supporting it and the fact that this misses the boat in obvious ways (no Qi, no NFC, last years specs, sub par camera) I will not buy one. It's early, it could succeed but only time will tell. Good luck MS, your timing was good but you took a swing and missed on too many pitches. Maybe time to look at a fruit phone. Yea, that's not going to happen. An s10 for $749 is a deal in comparison. The same cpu, NFC, Qi charging, a good camera and no gimmicks. Thanks MS, you convinced me.

Name the last surface device they killed. I'll wait

I am sure MS thinks "We will start with a high price, and maximize profit" The truth is they will blow their "initial excitement", and sell only 10% of the devices, compared to an aggressively priced device. They are not the market leader, they should have sold this phone for cost, or even a loss to get some sort of market for future devices..... I predict a dismal failure...no one buys it. I can hear the bad press coming already.. I will wait untill it is two years old, buy it off ebay for $200, and by then someone will have ported Windows 10 for ARM over to it.

So you are anticipating the tech press will pan the Surface Duo because a keyboard isn't included? :)

I am certainly going to wait until a later generation. While the CPU choice and lack of 5G are not problems for me, the omission of such features as NFC, wireless charging, and general lack of dual-screen supporting apps certainly are. With a $1400-$1500 price tag, this is not a device I would be upgrading from anytime soon. I do not have that kind of money to spend on a whim. I treat all my personal devices like business equipment. It is an investment that I want to justify with at least five years of use, if not longer. At such, the features that Microsoft omitted with Gen1 that I do not use much now may become much more important in my activities in the years to come. I do not want to find myself challenged just a year or two in because of a key feature, like NFC, missing. And I do not want to supplement any of those deficiencies by carrying a second phone. If it ever came to that, I might as well leave the Duo at home and carry the second device as my regular thus devaluing purchasing the Duo in the first place. Most importantly is dual-screen app support. Right now, with Gen1, it is just really the Microsoft apps. But I do not just use Microsoft apps. Software and services are king. It may take a couple of generations, but if developers are not at least stirred to experiment this form factor, then Microsoft apps alone will not be incentive enough for me to buy. I am not saying I am not interest in the Duo at all. Just that considering what will be lacking with Gen1, I cannot justify purchasing at that price.

No next generation...!

For the form factor? Of course. You can’t expect single screen smart phone pricing for dual screens. For the specs? Heck no.

At $1,400 i would rather buy another PC, but I'll have to see it in person before deciding. As far as 5G that doesn't even factor in my decision, I switched back to LTE on my current phone.

It's a beautiful looking device and I can't wait to see it it but even with the trade in value of my Samsung Galaxy I wouldn't do it. It needs nfc, wireless charging and a pen included. I also want to know what accessories are available. I'm really looking forward to improvements in version 2 without an increase in price.

Though I find the price just a tad higher than what I hope for (1000 - 1200). I can't buy it either since currently it's US only. 🤷 I think I'll just wait for Surface Duo 2. Hopefully the first gen reached its sales target and they will address the missing things in Duo like lack of NFC, ultra-wide camera (more useful than telephoto Imo), larger screen reaching almost bezelless, IP certification, and Qi Wireless charging. Maybe MicroSD support but that seems hard on how thin currently is. If they use latest SoC in the future, expect 5G with it so I won't really list it as missing since it's inevitable.

Waiting as well getting Note 20 Ultra wife getting my Note10+. Just for price I would rather try the LG Dual screen honestly

It's too much. But I'll still get it. We'll see what the public decides

It's priced as a flagship despite having decidedly unflagship-like specs (camera, battery, even chipset) and features (no nfc, no 5g, no wireless charging, no included pen), which means the 'experience' of having two screens has to justify the markup. Good luck, MS. What a disappointment this price was for me.

What I found that Surface series is meant to expansive if we look closer to the specs. This poll means nothing to me.

I get why it's so expensive, I really do, but Microsoft are taking what is arguably going to be a very niche device and turning into something super niche. I can't see them shifting the Duo by the pallet load, but at the same time, I don't think Microsoft see this as a mainstream device. Maybe they'll be happy with a few hundred thousand sales, and will gather up