Back in 2020, Microsoft mentioned its plans to launch the Surface Duo in other international markets outside the US. The company has now officially confirmed its plans to bring the device in several markets across the globe, including Canada, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. According to Microsoft, the Surface Duo will be introduced in global markets as soon as February 18.
“Surface Duo brings together the power of Microsoft 365 experiences and the full ecosystem of Android mobile apps into one pocket-sized device, with two screens that users can take anywhere. Today, we’re announcing the arrival of Surface Duo in Canada complete with an updated user experience to usher in a new wave of productivity, functionality and creativity,” said Microsoft in its Canadian announcement.
As far as pricing goes, the Surface Duo will be available from €1549 in France and Germany, while in the UK, the 128GB model will cost £1349. As far as Canada is concerned, the base model is projected to sell from $1869.
The Surface Duo is Microsoft’s first Android smartphone, the highlight of which is its dual-screen form factor. The handset features two different AMOLED displays, with each display measuring at 5.6-inches. When used together, they transform into an 8.2-inch PixelSense Fusion display with an aspect ratio of 3:2.
The dual-screen form factor happens to be Surface Duo’s standout feature. It offers users the standard phone design and transforms into a large tablet, making it more immersive while watching videos or playing games. The handset gets powered by the Snapdragon 855 processor under the hood, paired with 6GB of RAM. Key sources also indicate that the device might finally get the long-awaited Android 11 update later this year.
For now, there’s no information about the Surface Duo’s launch in other international markets apart from the ones mentioned above. That said, rumor also has it that the second-generation Surface Duo handset is already in the works, which should go official by the end of 2021 or early 2022. The second-generation Duo should likely feature massively upgraded specs and hardware.