8 improvements and additions we’d like to see on the Surface Duo 2 - Android

The Surface Duo might be the most disappointing device of 2020. Here's how Microsoft could change things next time around.

The Surface Duo represents a return to the mobile sector for Microsoft, albeit in a very unconventional form factor. Microsoft’s new device sports two screens to enable better multitasking and productivity, but it’s far from a perfect experience.

You can get the full story in our review below, but there are a number of ways — from the price and spec sheet to the overall experience — that the Redmond company could’ve improved matters. Here are eight things we want to see for the Microsoft Surface Duo 2.

Our verdict: Microsoft Surface Duo review

A far more polished software experience

Arguably the biggest issue with the Surface Duo is the horribly unpolished software experience. Sure, first-generation products tend to have bugs that need squashing. Unfortunately, this isn’t so much a case of a few bugs as it is an entire infestation.

You’d think the firm would learn its lesson after shipping its last flagship phone in an awful state back in 2015. But that doesn’t appear to be the case. Presumably the lack of mobile polish is due to the firm firing a ton of testers years ago. So, we’d love to see a better out-of-the-box experience from the Surface Duo 2, and a raft of updates in the short-term to fix the Duo.

A desktop mode

Microsoft was one of the first companies to offer a desktop mode on its smartphones back in 2015, thanks to its Continuum for Phones feature. This let you output your Windows Phone to an external display, giving you a Windows-like experience — albeit with universal Windows apps.

We’ve since seen Huawei, LG, and Samsung up the ante with more robust desktop modes of their own, so we’d love to see Microsoft build a similar feature. The Redmond company can harness Android’s native desktop mode support to craft the feature. Toss in the firm’s productivity tools like Office and Remote Desktop software, and you could have a powerful combo.

Power to rival other flagships

The Surface Duo launched with the Snapdragon 855 processor, 6GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage. In terms of the chipset alone, it’s a powerful piece of silicon. However, it’s still last year’s chipset, while other flagship phones are using this year’s top-notch processors. Meanwhile, the RAM-count is also something we’re more likely to see in affordable flagships and mid-rangers rather than in a pricey device.

So, we’d definitely like to see the Surface Duo 2 pack a contemporary high-end chipset, more RAM, and more storage — or at least microSD support. Aside from the power boost, a contemporary flagship processor would also enable other welcome features like 5G, higher quality photo/video capture, and better Bluetooth/Wi-Fi connectivity.

Bring NFC

Another major feature missing from the Surface Duo is NFC, as Microsoft figured that the wireless connectivity standard wasn’t worth having on a $1,400 device. The company claimed that it chose to focus on “fundamental scenarios” first.

Also read: What is NFC and how does it work? Everything you need to know

It’s tough to accept this response when Huawei and Samsung’s foldables offer NFC. You can certainly argue that their foldables are more complex designs from a hardware perspective. Hopefully, the next Surface Duo device packs the wireless standard. This would mean you can actually leave your traditional phone at home if you want to access public transit and pay for goodies at the cash register.

Better pricing (or more features)