The Surface Duo officially went up for pre-order this week ahead of its September 10 launch. The dual-screen device will surely be interesting to a lot of folks, but it might be tough for some to pull the trigger on a $1,399 phone before it launches. Today Microsoft posted a new video that might help you make that decision.
Microsoft has posted a 35-minute video that shows off the Surface Duo in action. The video is actually a press briefing that was shown to journalists earlier this week, but now anyone can watch it.
In the video, we get a much better look at the Surface Duo's dual screens in action as well as the phone's special features. For example, from your home screen you can swipe up from the bottom of either display to access Android's app drawer, or you can swipe down from the top of either display to get your notification shade.
Tapping on an app will launch it on the screen that you tapped, leaving the other screen able to be operated independently. With one app open, you can drag it to the other screen or drag and hold in the middle to make it "Span" and cover both screens.
Some apps will have special features when they're spanning both screens. For example, OneDrive will let you view your gallery on one screen, tap on a photo, and see that photo in full screen on the other display.
You can also turn the Surface Duo vertically and span an app that way. In this mode, Outlook will show you the email you're reading on the top screen and give you a full keyboard on the bottom screen.
Another notable feature of the Surface Duo is App Groups. This lets you create a pair of apps that you can launch simultaneously, with each app taking up one of the Surface Duo's two screens.
It's good to get a long look at the Surface Duo in action ahead of its launch. At $1,399, the phone isn't cheap, and its dual screen form factor is pretty different compared to most smartphones that consumers are used to. It's smart of Microsoft to share this lengthy video that shows off the Surface Duo and its special features so that interested consumers can get a better look at it and make a decision about whether or not they'll be buying.