The Microsoft Surface Duo and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 are both technically foldable phones, though that’s pretty much all they share in common.
While Samsung’s second-generation Galaxy Fold offers a solid, flexible OLED panel, Microsoft has gone a more traditional route with the Surface Duo, offering two separate 5.6-inch screens protected by glass covering an 8.1-inch canvas form upon folding.
But that’s not the only way these two devices differ. Under the hood, they are powered by various processors, sporting batteries with a different size and completely unique camera hardware. And the Galaxy Z Fold 2 will certainly pack some convenience you won’t find on the Surface Duo, which Microsoft is still reluctant to classify itself as a phone.
Many details about the Galaxy Z Fold 2 are still shrouded in mystery, although Samsung says we can expect to learn more on September 1st. This Microsoft Surface Duo vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 comparison will highlight all the major ways in which 2020s most radical flagship Android phones differ.
Surface Duo vs. Galaxy Z Fold 2: price and release date
The Microsoft Surface Duo will ship on September 10th and starts at $ 1,399 for a device with 128 GB of storage. You can upgrade that to 256GB by spending another $ 100, which is something you should do if you ever want more storage in your Surface Duo, as it does not have a microSD slot for expansion. You can buy the phone unlocked, where it will support all major networks in the US, or go directly through AT&T.
Meanwhile, we still do not know how much the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 will cost, let alone if you can buy one. The first-generation Samsung Galaxy Fold cost $ 1,980, and rumors have suggested that the sequel could be at most $ 200 cheaper. That would put it at about $ 400 more than the Surface Duo, which is already a very expensive phone.
Surface Duo vs. Galaxy Z Fold 2: Specs
| Microsoft Surface Duo | Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 (rumored) | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $ 1,399 | ~ $ 1,780- $ 1,980 |
| Screen | Two 5.6-inch AMOLED (1800×1350); 8.1 inches combined | 7.6-inch interior OLED (120Hz); 6.2 OLED exterior |
| Processor | Snapdragon 855 | Snapdragon 865/865 Plus |
| FRAME | 6GB | 8GB-12GB |
| Storage | 128GB, 256GB | 256GB, 512GB |
| Primary cameras | 11MP (ƒ / 2.0) | 12MP and 108MP main camera; 12MP ultra wide; 64MP camera with 3x lossless zoom |
| Additional cameras | N / A | 10MP front facing |
| Battery size | 3,577 mAh | TBA |
| Great | Closes: 5.71 x 3.67 x 0.39 inches; Open: 5.71 x 7.35 x 0.18 inches | TBA |
| Weight | 8.8 ounces | TBA |
Surface Duo vs. Galaxy Z Fold 2: Design and display
Are two monitors better than one? Microsoft hopes you think so, as the Surface Duo packs dual 5.6-inch PixelSense AMOLED images into reinforced glass, with large edges above and below the panels. The whole device is exceptionally thin – the Surface Duo measures only 4.8 millimeters thick when protruded – making it the thinnest full phone the Surface has ever built.
The Galaxy Z Fold 2 actually has two monitors, though you can not really view them at the same time. The one on the inside of the device measures 7.6 inches from corner to corner, and sports the same 120Hz refresh rate as the new Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.
That panel is protected by Samsung’s Ultra-Thin Glass, which offers more reliability compared to the fragile plastic substrate used on the original Galaxy Fold, although not anywhere near the same kind of rigidity and protection as the Surface Duo offers. On the outside of the Galaxy Z Fold 2 is another 6.2-inch screen that essentially functions like that of a normal phone.
The Galaxy Z Fold 2 measures 6mm thick, which will make it much heavier than the Surface Duo when folded up. Both phones sport fifty hinges: the Surface Duo’s hinge rotates a full 360 degrees and can stop at any point. The Galaxy Z Fold 2s can also stop anywhere in its path, although it is limited between fold-shut and aperture, so the interior screen lies flat.
Surface Duo vs. Galaxy Z Fold 2: cameras
Avid mobile photographers are likely to flock to the Galaxy Z Fold 2 before giving the Surface Duo any consideration. That’s because Samsung’s foldable sports three lenses, one of which is probably a high-megapixel sensor, while the Surface Duo has only one above its straight display.
We do not know the specifications of the camera stack of the Galaxy Z Fold 2, but rumored point to the device that records the primary 12-MP shooter of the Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus as the 108-MP sensor that first in the Galaxy S20 Ultra and, more recently, the Note 20 Ultra. It will likely be complemented by ultra-wide and telephoto cameras, with the latest potentially offering 64-MP shots with 3x lossless zoom, as on the two cheaper Galaxy S20 models.
As for the Surface Duo, don’t expect Earth to shake. Microsoft has made it clear that this phone is not primarily intended for shutterbugs, with a single 11-MP, ƒ / 2.0 shooter above one of the screens. That means you have to fold the phone back if you want to take a picture of something for you.
Microsoft claims that Surface Duo’s single-lens system still uses artificial intelligence and computer photography to achieve tricks such as shallow depth-of-field portraits and a dedicated low-light mode. That said, we would be lying if we expected the camera quality as well as the versatility of the Surface Duo to hit anywhere near the Galaxy Z Fold 2s, let alone one of the best camera phones. It just does not seem to be a focus of the Surface Duo, and the spec sheet suggests so much.
Surface Duo vs. Galaxy Z Fold 2: Performance
Here is another area where the Surafce Duo and Galaxy Z Fold 2 differ massively. Microsoft’s $ 1,399 handset uses last year’s Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chipset and 6GB of RAM, while Samsung’s collapsible probably includes the same Snapdragon 865 Plus silicon as the Galaxy Note 20 and as much as double the memory in Microsoft’s device.
Again, we do not know exactly what Samsung is planning for the Galaxy Z Fold 2, although we can get so much out of the company’s current reach. Whether the company chooses the standard Snapdragon 865 architecture first introduced in the Galaxy S20, or the faster 865 Plus, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 will also support 5G networks – something you certainly will not find in the Surface Duo, built solely to connect to 4G LTE towers.
We expect a big gap in performance between these two phones. The Snapdragon 855 is unfortunately not up to date, but its CPU is 20% slower, and its GPU is 25% slower than that in the regular 865. The 865 Plus adds even more horsepower on top, so Samsung’s device will definitely pack a little extra oomph for workaholics and hardcore gamers.
Surface Duo vs. Galaxy Z Fold 2: Battery
With two screens in power, you’d imagine the Surface Duo would pack an absolutely gigantic battery. However, Microsoft has only built a 3,577-mAh power pack into its first Android handset, which is quite a bit compared to the 4,500-mAh one in the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.
Just like with other specs regarding the Galaxy Z Fold 2, we still do not know what Samsung plans to put in its foldable to send it through all day. However, the first Galaxy Fold had a 4,380-mAh battery, and that device did not even offer a 120Hz refresh rate as a 5G connection. With the increased energy requirements of its modern flagships, we can imagine that Samsung will increase the second generation battery capacity to meet.
Unfortunately, Samsung baked wireless charging support into the original Galaxy Fold, and we expect it to make a return in the future as well. The Surface Duo unfortunately does not provide facilities for wireless charging nor NFC, which is quite disappointing considering the high price.
Surface Duo vs. Galaxy Z Fold 2: Software and special features
Microsoft hopes Surface Duo owners will find that whatever the dual-screen phone lacks in hardware, it will compensate in smart, intuitive software. The Surface Duo is built to move you smoothly between its two monitors in a logical way that keeps you on task and helps you work smarter.
For example, if you open an email in the Surface Duo Outlook app, it will fill the unused screen with the contents of the message you just typed, leaving your mailbox open on the first panel. And if you want to reply, it will move the correspondence forward to replace your inbox and make room for a composition menu.
Microsoft says the APIs it’s built above Android on the Surface Duo are smart enough to know which apps and links to place where and when, meaning third-party developers don’t have to deliberately code their apps to take advantage of ‘ the multiple panels of the Surface Duo.
As for the Galaxy Z Fold 2, Samsung has so far not shared any specific features with the productivity. That said, the first Fold had a juicy feature of App Continuity, after which an app open on the outside screen would move to the interior screen for a larger view when you opened the device. We anticipate that idea will be transferred to the Galaxy Z Fold 2 and potentially expanded.
What’s more, with virtually all of Samsung’s flagships these days DeX mode for a makeshift desktop experience if you need it, we hope to see the company’s new wireless DeX interface, introduced alongside the Note 20, also appear in his next foldable.
Both Microsoft and Samsung have dedicated three years to bringing Android updates to Android platforms for their phones, giving everyone who spends top dollar on one of these devices.
Surface Duo vs. Galaxy Z Fold 2: Outlook
Of course, the Surface Duo and Galaxy Z Fold 2 are very different types of foldables – so different, in fact, that they might attract very different users.
The Surface Duo is for the productivity-minded audience that could really benefit from the window motif of the phone and multitasking-oriented interface. It is also a good companion for those who actively use many Microsoft services.
The Galaxy Z Fold 2 is more of a media powerhouse, with its much more sober camera technology and unlimited flexible display. It is also uplifting for the user about the future of folding panels and mobile technology as a whole. Using a device like the Galaxy Fold or Galaxy Z Flip is a magical experience the very first time you do it, and it’s certainly flashier than the seemingly well-built but ultimately more traditional Surface Duo.
We look forward to a more in-depth comparison between these two devices once the Galaxy Z Fold 2 is fully launched, and we are able to get the Surface Duo inside for testing. Stay tuned.
