The Microsoft Surface Duo is one of the more polarizing consumer tech releases of the year. Launched in September after a year-long teasing period, the highly anticipated device gained immediate praise for its premium, ingenious dual-screen hardware, but also caught a lot of negative press for its bug-heavy software and relatively high price. The good news is that the buggy software has improved a bit thanks to monthly updates. And that $1,400 price tag? Best Buy's Black Friday deal has made it a bit easier to swallow. For Black Friday you can pick up a 128GB Microsoft Surface Duo for $1,099 if you are willing to activate it with Verizon or AT&T today, or $1,199 if you want it unlocked. This is respectively a $300 or $200 saving over the Surface Duo's original $1,399 price.
Microsoft Surface Duo
More isn't always better -- unless you're talking about screens and its ties to productivity, because in this case, more is better. The Microsoft Surface Duo may not have the most powerful processor or camera, but it's dual screens sure make productive work easier.
If you want more storage, the 256GB model can be had for $1,199 (via carrier) or $1,299 (unlocked), also a $300 or $200 savings on the original $1,499 price.
As someone who purchased the Microsoft Surface Duo and used it for over a month, I can't say the bugs weren't frustrating, and its Snapdragon 855 SoC is more than a year old now. However, there was something undeniably cool about having a two-screen device that, even when folded shut, measures just 9.9mm. If you are someone who does a lot of office work on the go, having two screens just makes everything -- proofreading word documents, sending long emails, researching information on the web -- much easier to handle. Once you've tried running two productivity apps at the same time -- there's no going back. And as mentioned, the software situation has improved, with a lot of the rougher edges now smoothed over. Do realize that the Microsoft Surface Duo is not for everyone -- it's not your ordinary smartphone. So be prepared to shell out the premium for being on the cutting edge of engineering and smartphone design.