The iFixit team has also noted that one of the two batteries is twice the size of the other, but that Microsoft has made them difficult to replace by using lots of glue and screws. Those batteries aren’t the only components that would be hard to replace, though: the team found that the only parts that wouldn’t be a pain to remove are the displays and the back glass covers.

You can check out iFixit’s full teardown if you need help deciding whether to buy the $1,400 device. As we mentioned in our review, it’s the best dual-screen hardware out there, but it’s still plagued by buggy software. iFixit has also highlighted the issue, revealing that it had to deal with crashes and flickering screens when it tried to load web pages on the device.

The Surface Duo reviews are in and the verdict is a resounding meh. Devindra and Cherlynn talk about what excited them about Microsoft’s dual-screen debut, and explain why using it in the real world was frustrating. Then, UK bureau chief Mat Smith joins our hosts to discuss the Xbox Series S and X versus Sony’s Playstation options, as well as what Apple might have in store for the September 15th event it announced this week.

Listen below, or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you’ve got suggestions or topics you’d like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcasts, the Morning After and Engadget News!

As if Samsung unveiling the Z Fold 2 plus an NVIDIA event weren’t enough to keep us busy this week, we also got a slew of news from companies all over the consumer electronics industry thanks to IFA 2020. Cherlynn and Devindra are joined by senior mobile editor Chris Velazco to discuss his impressions of the Galaxy Z Fold 2 after spending a day and a half with it. Then, our hosts geek out over NVIDIA and Intel’s latest processors, before blazing through the plethora of IFA news from companies like TCL, Qualcomm, Lenovo and Samsung (again).

Listen below, or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you’ve got suggestions or topics you’d like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcasts, the Morning After and Engadget News!

This week was dominated by Microsoft’s Surface Duo news, with the company finally unveiling full details and availability info for its dual-screen device since it was first showed off last year. Cherlynn and Devindra discuss why this is such a compelling product and spell out some concerns that could hold the Duo back. How can Microsoft justify the controversial price tag and is the software any better than previous efforts? Our hosts also take a deeper look at Cherlynn’s experience reviewing the Galaxy Watch 3 and provide updates on some Intel and Avatar news that came out this week.

Listen below, or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you’ve got suggestions or topics you’d like covered on the show, be sure to let us know on our form or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcasts, the Morning After and Engadget News!

Microsoft’s first dual-screen Android device is nearly upon us. In a blog post (which we’re guessing was published a tad early, given how little the company is talking about the news elsewhere) the company re-unveiled the Surface Duo and announced that it’ll be shipping on September 10th. That means the hardware could come to market before Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 2, which doesn’t have a release date just now — the company has merely confirmed that it’ll be available to pre-order from September 1st.

Like Samsung’s high-end foldables, the Duo’s hinge and extra display will cost you. Today, Microsoft revealed that the Surface Duo will retail at $1,399, which is more expensive than many flagships including the newly-announced Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra ($1,299). For an Android foldable, though, it’s arguably a steal. The Duo is $600 cheaper than Samsung’s original Galaxy Fold and $100 less than the reborn Motorola Razr’s starting price. Samsung’s folding Z Flip is $100 cheaper than the Duo, but like the Razr, it’s a smaller device aimed at flip phone lovers.

The renders themselves don’t appear to share anything new, although they’re a friendly reminder that offering an Android device with Google apps also means agreeing to the search giant’s policies, including the presence of a Google search bar on one of the default home screens.

The Duo might not be as expensive as you’d expect. While the two 5.6-inch AMOLED screens are clearly its highlights, the new Surface might include modest hardware like a 2019-era Snapdragon 855, 6GB of RAM and up to 256GB of storage. You’d also get just one 11-megapixel camera for video chats and selfies. As Microsoft has hinted for a while, the Duo could really be focused on the software — it would be more about multitasking for work than competing with the latest high-end phones.

A leaked video shared on Twitter shows a Surface Duo opened just slightly. The time and notifications are clustered on the right side of the screen, and you can swipe to dismiss them. You’ll also be able to preview and decline or accept calls.

Peek pic.twitter.com/vnawzLrf6k

— WalkingCat (@h0x0d) February 26, 2020

This “peek” feature could be an alternative to adding another screen, as the Galaxy Fold and Galaxy Z Flip devices have done. Microsoft hasn’t confirmed this feature, but last month it released a preview toolkit to help developers prepare Android apps for the Surface Duo, so it’s not unreasonable to believe that it’s in the works. Microsoft clearly wants developers to come up with innovative dual-screen experiences, and it could set an example with this peek-to-preview function.

People who want to write apps for the Surface Neo and Windows 10X will have to wait a while longer. Microsoft is planning to offer a pre-release version of the relevant Windows developer kit “in the coming weeks” through its usual Insider previews, with a 10X-ready emulator and programming interfaces appearing on February 11th.

The months of lead time should result in a fair amount of apps for both the Duo and Neo when they’re ready. Just how many is another question. That might depend on how quickly Microsoft releases more polished developer kits, not to mention overall interest — you’ll only see widespread support if app writers think the new Surfaces (and Windows 10X) hold a lot of potential.

As 2020 draws closer, we’re also slowly nearing the debut of dual-screen devices from Microsoft and others. Now that the Surface Duo and Surface Neo have been revealed, the company’s next step is to help developers get their software ready for the new devices. While deeper details will have to wait until early next year, the message sent to developers via a blog post is that current apps (on Android and Windows 10X) will work without needing new tools and redesigns.

As far as making apps that can take advantage of new capabilities presented by these convertible devices, the idea is for a “common model” that overlays either Windows or Android. We’ll have to wait and see what that looks like in practice, but with both the Duo and Neo scheduled to arrive in the holiday season next year, hopefully developers have enough time to figure out what works — and what doesn’t — before they go on sale.