Microsoft Surface Duo 2 vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3

Microsoft launched a sequence of recent transportable powerhouse merchandise at its Surface event, together with the following technology of their cellular line, the Microsoft Surface Duo 2. That is the successor to the much-criticized Surface Duo, which acquired unfavourable evaluations and lackluster gross sales on account of points with subpar {hardware} and software program. With the Duo 2, Microsoft has taken criticism to coronary heart and revamped it with flagship-level {hardware} and guarantees of an improved software program expertise.

The Duo 2 now joins different foldable telephones just like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3, which is broadly thought of to be top-of-the-line available on the market by way of efficiency and options, and the compact, consumer-friendly Galaxy Z Flip 3. The specs between the Duo 2 and Fold 3 are comparable in most regards, however there are some key variations, and Samsung has usually had extra expertise relating to folding-phone {hardware}. There’s additionally a value disparity, with the Galaxy Z Fold 3 costing an additional $300 over the Duo 2. Learn on to see our breakdown of how they differ and which one is healthier.

Specs

	Microsoft Floor Duo 2	Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3
Dimension	Open: 145.2 x 184.5 x 5.5mm (5.71 x 7.26 x 0.22 inches) Closed: 145.2 x 92.1 x 11.0mm (5.71 x 3.62 x 0.43 inches)	Unfolded: 128.1 x 158.2 x 6.4mm (5.04 x 6.22 x 0.25 inches) Folded: 67.1 x 158.2 x 16.0mm (2.64 x 6.22 x 0.63 inches)
Weight	284 grams (10.01 ounces)	271 grams (9.56 ounces)
Display dimension	Open: 8.3-inch Twin PixelSense Fusion Show AMOLED (90Hz) Closed: 5.8-inch PixelSense Show AMOLED	Principal: 7.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X (120Hz) Cowl display: 6.2-inch Tremendous AMOLED 2X (120Hz)
Display decision	Open: 2688 x 1892 (396 pixels per inch) Closed: 1344 x 1892 (401 ppi)	Principal: 2208 x 1768 pixels (374 ppi) Cowl display: 2268 x 832 pixels (387 ppi)
Working system	Android 11	Android 11 with One UI 3.1
Storage	128GB, 256GB, 512GB	256GB, 512GB
MicroSD card slot	No	No
Faucet-to-pay providers	Google Pay	Samsung Pay, Google Pay
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 888	Qualcomm Snapdragon 888
RAM	8GB	12GB
Digital camera	Rear: 16-megapixel ultrawide, 12MP wide-angle, 12MP telephoto Entrance: 12MP	Rear important: 12MP ultrawide, 12MP wide-angle, and 12MP telephoto rear Entrance important display: 4MP under-display Cowl display: 10MP
Video	4K at 60 frames per second, 1080p at 240 fps, sluggish movement at 240 fps, HDR	4K at 60 fps, 1080p at 240 fps, 720p at 960 fps, HDR10+
Bluetooth model	Bluetooth 5.1	Bluetooth 5.1
Ports	USB-C	USB-C
Fingerprint sensor	Sure, side-mounted	Sure, side-mounted
Water resistance	No	IPX8
Battery	4,449mAh twin battery Quick Charging with Microsoft Floor 23W USB-C	4,400mAh Quick charging (25W, charger not included) Quick wi-fi charging (10W) Reverse wi-fi charging (4.5W)
App market	Google Play Retailer	Google Play Retailer, Samsung Galaxy Retailer
Community help	All main carriers	All main carriers
Colours	Glacier, Obsidian Black	Mirror Purple, Mirror Black
Costs	$1,500	$1,800
Evaluation	News	4 out of 5 stars

Design, show, and sturdiness

The Duo 2 and Fold 3 look nothing alike relating to design. The Duo 2 basically resembles its predecessor, with no cowl display, a big and sturdy hinge between two separate shows, and a design language that resembles bigger Floor gadgets just like the Surface Pro 8 and Pro X. As an alternative of a canopy display, you get the Look Bar, which is a niche between the hinge that allows you to see the display and affords color-coded notifications. The Fold 3, however, is like two Galaxy S21 telephones melted collectively right into a single display, and it comes with a 6.2-inch cowl show that helps 120Hz. The quilt show affords further usability you simply don’t get with the Duo 2, which requires you to open it up every time to work together with it.

Separated by solely a half-inch of display house, the Microsoft Floor Duo 2 affords an 8.3-inch Twin AMOLED display in comparison with the 7.6 inches Samsung offers when unfolded, but it surely’s essential to notice that the Fold 3 has a seamless folding display (apart from the crease), whereas the Duo 2 nonetheless has the display cut up by a bezel down the center and a big one alongside the perimeters. The Duo additionally comes with 401 pixels per inch (ppi) because of its 2688 x 1892 AMOLED high-definition decision. Nonetheless, no matter when folded or when utilizing the duvet display, the Fold 3 offers a brilliant, sharp AMOLED display for social media, video games, and video. This display interprets to a 2208 x 1768 decision, or 374 ppi — placing it on par with the Duo 2 by way of decision regardless of some variations in pixel density.

Extra importantly, the hinges are what separate these clean, modern foldables. The Samsung Fold 3 affords a singular hinge for opening to a 7.6-inch panel. It’s like night time and day in comparison with the Duo 2, which makes use of what it calls Revolutionary Hinge Expertise for a full 360-degree fold. Bear in mind, this final foldability comes at a refresh fee value — you’ll be able to anticipate an adaptive 90Hz refresh fee on the Duo in comparison with Samsung’s adaptive 120Hz fee. When you actually can’t see a distinction between 60Hz and 90Hz refresh charges, you might be able to spot the distinction when you rise up in these greater digits, which might influence cellular gaming experiences. Our reviewer notably liked taking part in Genshin Impression on the Fold 3’s huge display.

Each telephones even have Gorilla Glass Victus for higher sturdiness, although Samsung solely has it on the duvet display regardless of having a extra sturdy display protector for the folding display. The one huge disparity is that the Fold 3 is IPX8 waterproof, whereas the Duo 2 continues to lack it.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3

Efficiency, battery life, and charging

Each the Duo 2 and Fold 3 have Samsung’s newest Snapdragon 888 processor, which was one of many huge criticisms of the earlier Duo, which had an older Snapdragon 855. It doesn’t matter what, you’re going to have 25% more CPU Performance in both chipset in addition to 35% extra GPU efficiency. The Duo 2 comes with 8GB of RAM in comparison with the 12GB you get with the Fold 3, so that you’ll be higher capable of deal with intensive duties and multitasking on the latter, although numerous that comes all the way down to software program optimization.

Charging and battery require hands-on testing, however the 4,449mAh cell on the Duo 2 seems to be promising. The Fold 3 had a considerably disappointing battery life regardless of a 4,400mAh cell, and our review demonstrated a nightly cost was wanted to get by way of normal daytime use, with over 9 hours of runtime throughout a battery check. The Floor Duo 2 claims 15.5 hours of native video playback and as much as 28 hours of discuss time, but it surely’s untimely to estimate how that’ll translate to real-world use.

Fortunately, each fashions help quick charging and USB-C, however solely the Fold 3 helps wi-fi charging. The Duo 2 nonetheless requires you to plug in, and it joins the remainder of the market in not together with an adapter, so that you’ll want to purchase a 23-watt one individually.

Winner: Tie

Digital camera

The Fold 3 affords a triple digicam array with three 12-megapixel cameras that embody a large, telephoto, and ultrawide lens, a 10MP cowl digicam, and 4MP under-display selfie digicam. The Duo 2, against this, has a 12MP huge, 12MP telephoto, and 16MP ultrawide rear digicam array, plus a 12MP selfie digicam. On paper, this sounds pretty comparable, and customers will be capable of get the zoom and ultrawide pictures that individuals have come to like. However Samsung has a significantly better monitor document in optimizing digicam efficiency. Our early testing of the Fold 3 confirmed fairly good picture capabilities on the entire and stable low-light efficiency regardless of some challenges.

Microsoft claims the Duo 2 has much-improved digicam efficiency and revealed loads of pattern pictures to show it. Most of them look fairly good, and, usually talking, most trendy smartphones fare properly in good lighting circumstances, so the true check shall be how the sensors fare in low gentle. The Duo 2 can be able to 4K video recording at 30/60 fps, identical to the Fold 3.

Whereas we haven’t had a lot time to play with the Floor Duo 2’s digicam programs but, we’re going to belief in Samsung’s tried-and-tested components at this early level.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3

Software program and connectivity

The software program was the massive downfall of the unique Duo, with a lot of bugs and little or no of the seamless efficiency that was promised for multitasking and productiveness. Microsoft has promised to rectify that for this mannequin and says that customers will lastly get the efficiency they’ve been anticipating with seamless switching between E-book, Compose, and Tent mode. It also needs to be optimized for 150 video games out of the field, letting you employ the highest display for the sport and the underside display for controls.

The Fold 3 has loads of multitasking and productiveness options, letting you run two apps facet by facet, launch apps along with App Pair, proceed working from the duvet display to the unfolded display with Continuity, and have as much as three apps open at a time in resizable home windows. Samsung additionally has a greater monitor document relating to software program for foldables, take into account that is the third technology of its gadgets.

Updates are more durable to gauge. When you’re involved about lacking out on the most recent software program, then you needn’t fear over both of those fashions: Each run Android 11 OS and are sure to get Android 12. The query is just: When? Samsung’s document is powerful, and although the corporate hasn’t all the time been the quickest to replace, it’s getting quicker and it’s masking extra gadgets. Microsoft is way more untested on this area, and whereas we’re assured we’ll see loads of updates for the Duo 2, Microsoft simply doesn’t have the document Samsung does, so we’re giving this to Samsung for now.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3

Particular options

Each the Duo 2 and Fold 3 include 5G connectivity. That’s not a giant deal for Samsung, but it surely was a serious omission on the unique Duo, so it’s good to see that fastened. Different connectivity protocols are largely an identical, together with the most recent model of Bluetooth and NFC for contactless cost. Samsung additionally has the bonus of getting launched extra gadgets with bigger screens, and you may actually make the most of that huge seamless display in a approach that’s tougher to do with the Floor Duo 2’s separate shows.

What about accent help? The Duo 2 is appropriate with the Surface Slim Pen 2, and that stylus can cost whereas sitting on the gadget. The Fold 3 is appropriate with the S Pen Fold Version and S Pen Professional, letting you draw, write, and take notes — however the draw back is there’s no place to dock it on the gadget except you get a appropriate case.

Winner: Tie

Worth and availability

Pre-orders for the Surface Duo 2 have began, and it’ll launch on October 20. Costs begin at $1,499, which is actually a big chunk of {dollars}.

When you don’t need to wait that lengthy or if you happen to want to remain within the Samsung household, the Samsung Z Fold 3 is out now and will cost $1,799. Samsung has these days been operating some gross sales on the Fold 3, so there’s an opportunity you might be able to snag it for a lower cost, particularly with their cellphone trade-in program. The worth distinction isn’t large, but it surely does make the Duo 2 a bit cheaper — which appears truthful as a result of it’s nonetheless lacking just a few options.

Winner: Microsoft Floor Duo 2

Total winner: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3

Whereas impressed by the enhancements Microsoft has made to the Duo 2, together with the higher processor, 5G connectivity, and 90Hz display, the Fold 3 nonetheless has much more going for it by way of refresh fee, software program monitor document, and total design. It additionally has a number of key options which are essential for a present cellphone like wi-fi charging and water resistance. If you need a foldable you’ll be able to depend on, we suggest going with Samsung.

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