The original Surface Duo from Microsoft might not have been a big success, but the company has not given up working on its successor. The Surface Duo 2 is rumored to release later this year with some major improvements across the board.
Ahead of that, leaked photos of a prototype unit of the Surface Duo 2 reveal its upgraded triple-camera system. Among other things, the original Surface Duo was panned for its poor camera performance, and it looks like Microsoft intends to fix that this time around.
The Microsoft Surface Duo 2 Could Feature a Triple-Camera System
The leaked photos of the Surface Duo 2 first surfaced on YouTube over a month ago but largely went unnoticed. However, Windows Central now confirms that the photos of the device in the video are of a prototype unit of the Surface Duo 2.
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The photos show the Surface Duo 2 having a massive camera hump at its rear, with three camera sensors including a primary, telephoto, and ultra-wide sensor. For comparison, the original Surface Duo packed a paltry 11MP f/2.0 camera at the rear that was widely panned for its sub-par performance.
While the image quality of the Surface Duo 2 will only be known once it is released, it does look like Microsoft intends to offer a competent camera setup on the device in its second iteration. The camera hump points to Microsoft using bigger and newer camera sensors on the Surface Duo 2.
The Microsoft Surface Duo 2 Will Pack Proper Flagship Specs
Apart from the massive camera hump, there are some other hardware changes on the Surface Duo 2 that one can make out from the leaked photos. The USB-C port seems to have been centered on the right-hand side of the device. The fingerprint sensor also seems to have been removed from the rear of the device and integrated into the power button.
Microsoft plans to ship the Surface Duo 2 in September or October this year, as per the report. Unlike the original Surface Duo, the second iteration of Microsoft’s foldable Surface will feature proper flagship specs fit for a 2021 phone. The device will include a Snapdragon 888 chip, 5G connectivity, and NFC for contactless payments.
It is unclear if Microsoft will increase the price of the Surface Duo 2 due to these improvements or price it at a similar price point as the original Surface Duo, which was initially announced at $1,399 but is now heavily discounted across all major retailers.
Nonetheless, it does look like the company has learned from the mistakes it made with the original Surface Duo and intends to fix them this time around.