It’s too wide to use as a phone when folded, and it’s unusable as a “full” tablet when spread out. The device’s ambiguity meant that it was actually difficult, if not awkward, to use it like you would a familiar mobile device. It didn’t, however, solve the fundamental problem of exhibiting an identity that people can understand and relate to, which would have gone a long way in making the device more appealing beyond mere curiosity. The Surface Duo had that capability built-in, saving users from having to juggle accessories.

The experience, of course, was very different, more similar to how you’d connect a second monitor to a computer. LG tried to take a stab at a dual-screen phone with a case that you can attach and remove as needed. The Surface Duo’s unconventional design does warrant a different classification, though it’s not exactly original in the basic concept. Even Microsoft itself avoids calling the Surface Duo by either name, preferring to just refer to it as a “dual-screen mobile device.” You can easily call it a tablet, either, even though content can span both screens to form one single display that has a very noticeable cut in the middle. You can’t even fold the Surface Duo 2 back completely now that it has a camera bump. You can’t really call it a smartphone, even though it does make calls since it’s rather awkward to actually use it as a phone unless you’re always wearing earbuds. To some extent, the Microsoft Surface Duo is in a class of its own. Although it did have its fair share of fans, the Surface Duo 2 just didn’t seem to click with the masses, even less than the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold, and these are five reasons why. At first, it seemed that it would actually be a new mobile device category to stand beside typical foldables, but the rumor now is that Microsoft seems to have thrown in the towel. The Microsoft Surface Duo and its successor tried to offer a less risky yet still expensive interpretation of the foldable design, offering two distinct screens rather than folding a single one. Even if they were more affordable, most people would probably still not be able to justify such a purchase, especially considering some concerns regarding durability.

Foldable phones have been on the market for almost five years now, but they’re still considered to be expensive eccentricities and luxuries that only a few can really afford. They may be technological marvels, but foldable and rollable screens remain just that in consumers’ eyes.

Microsoft duo