You can’t really compare the Surface Duo to the Galaxy Fold, the Moto Razr 5G, or other foldable devices—at least not when you look inside. Where Samsung and Motorola spent thousands of hours crafting elaborate hinges, external micro-screens, and hold-back-the-flood dust sweepers, the Duo is apex simplicity. It’s two incredibly thin panels, joined like a common book, with hinges that may prove the most durable of all. It’s a bold, impressive idea, and diving into it revealed several interesting choices.
But, as with prior first-generation Microsoft portables, the thin, premium, category-creating Duo is not something meant to be repaired, maybe not even by Microsoft. We found easy-to-slice cables and sticky glue traps throughout. Replacing the two battery cells is such a messy afterthought, we’re not sure Microsoft considered it at all. Recent Surface devices have been far more repairable, though, so we’re hopeful that this is just the first chapter in the Duo story.
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