Microsoft Surface Duo unboxing - What do you get for $1,400 - Android

Microsoft’s Surface Duo phone-tablet thingy just showed up on our doorstep. We’re pretty stoked to see the company’s new vision for a phone, years after it abandoned its own hardware and operating system. But almost equally interesting to Microsoft’s take on Android is the hardware, sporting two independent displays versus the bendable single-screened foldable devices we’ve become accustomed to seeing.

We’re not able to show you the software experience just yet. But you’re probably wondering, what exactly do you get inside that $1,400 box? Take a look in our Microsoft Surface Duo unboxing.

Unique hardware

As mentioned above, the Microsoft Surface Duo has some of the most unique hardware we’ve seen in a while. This phone is wicked thin, coming in at just 4.8mm when unfolded, or about 9.6mm when folded up. Compare that with any other phone, especially a foldable phone like the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip, and it’s clear Microsoft put a lot of work into making this thing as streamlined as possible.

Equally jarring is how wide this phone is. Even when put into a single-screen orientation, it’s about a third wider than most phones you’re probably used to. You’ll have to have your hands spread pretty wide to hold it, but it’s clear that Microsoft wants you to use this phone with two hands, like a book. I can see why the company is hesitant to call it a phone since it feels more like a tablet. At the end of the day, it still does most of the things a standard Android phone would do.

You’ve got a single USB-C port on the bottom, a side-mounted fingerprint reader, a power button, and volume rockers on the right. The top is devoid of any buttons or ports. The hinge sits on the left. Microsoft spent a lot of time designing this hinge, and its one of the smoothest hinges I’ve used. There’s just enough force required to swing it around, and it can rotate a full 360 degrees, stopping anywhere in between. This means you can use it in a variety of orientations, like a laptop or a tent.