Wow it's crazy buggy

[pj737]

Just wanted to say my experience using the surface duo has been utterly horrible. The phone is plagued with bugs. It lags, it freezes, it jitters, it flashes (seizure risk for some, not even kidding). If it weren't for the fact that virtually every review out there makes the same complaint, I would have thought I received a dud. But this is really so much worse than I thought. What was Microsoft thinking releasing this? For me it's an unusable product in its current form. Hopefully Microsoft comes out with an update that fixes all of it within my return window. But I'm not hopeful as there is a lot to fix.

 

[JOHNGAETANO]

Literally had mine for 3 hours and returned it to Best Buy. Dear lord it was a software nightmare, which is likely rooted from it's cheap a$& 2013 hardware specs.

 

[J Dubbs]

It sounds like Microsoft is sticking to their windows phone style approach to releasing mobile devices. Even though it's running Android they've managed to make it feel just like the windows phone releases and updates.... buggy messes. Man I hated those things lol. It also sounds a lot like a typical windows 10 update....a buggy destabilizing pc pita. I was hoping for better, but after using windows through most of their pc versions and all the windows phone versions I should have known better :-[

Obviously Microsoft only knows one way of doing things, and that's all we can expect from them. Sad

 

[me just saying]

will to bet there will be an update real soon. too many bad reviews about the software.

 

[B. Diddy]

Interesting to hear about this. It's a shame -- the form factor and what Microsoft was trying to accomplish seemed more practical and useful than other foldables. I wonder if Microsoft will stick with it even if sales are poor and reviews remain bad, and still come out with a 2nd generation like Samsung did.

 

[Laura Knotek]

It's terrible that they're charging so much money for a device with buggy software in addition to mediocre hardware (no NFC and bad camera).

 

[anon(50597)]

I've had enough experience with MS to know not to trust the hype. Send it back while you can.

 

[DoyouFanBoyBro]

It's not a surprise at all. The company is no longer focused on technology

 

[kbz1960]

Sad

 

[Mark Kaplan]

I don't understand these comments at all. I have been using mine since its arrival on Tuesday and I love it. Most of the comments over at windoescentral.com are quite positive. Those reporting a buggy OS obviously never updated the OS which resolves most of the issues being described. The update was released Tuesday with the phones and is prompted as soon as the device boots up. If you pass on the update you had a bad experience. I love the device and have no desire to back to my Galaxy S9+. I have had no issues, no crashes, no lockups, nothing. Just great performance and excellent battery life.

 

[jnjroach]

It has replaced my Note 10+ already and my Duo has been my primary device all weekend.

 

[58Gemni]

I agree with the last couple of comments. The device is working quite well for me. I'm coming from a pixel 4 and got really used to gesture navigation. So once I changed the Duo to gesture navigation instead of the three button, the screen and app movement worked way better. In fact, that made the difference with me keeping the device instead of taking it back.
I'm still getting used to the one screen or two screen for what I'm doing, and the opening and closing differently than just throwing it in your pocket. But overall the experience has been a solid 8 out of 10 for me.
And I'm not a big photo taking person so that was not a deal breaker for me. True it does not compare to the Pixel but it works fine for me

 

[bhatech]

Damn didn't know we had a forum for this device. Been using the unlocked version from launch day and got to say this software is a mess in the current state. Super buggy, occasional lags, jank and overall lacks polish. Surprised Microsoft let it ship in the current state and can only imagine what was the condition of it before he day one software update

This phone reminds me of essential phone, beautiful hardware held back by buggy software. I'm hoping Microsoft can push updates on this as fast as possible instead of waiting monthly.
When it works well it's a great experience but the occasional lag, jank and lock ups just kill the overall experience. The below droid life review perfectly summed up my experience along with all the other reviews. I'm still going to keep the phone since it's not my main phone anyway and I do see the potential **IF** they can fix the software issues.

www.droid-life.com/2020/09/14/the-microsoft-surface-duo-is-really-bad/

 

[DoyouFanBoyBro]

It would be nice if we could use other launchers with it.

 

[Jmoney0079]

I pre-ordered my duo and when it shipped it was set for the 11th which was release day. FedEx didn't require a signature so I took the day off, which I wanted anyway. At 9pm that night they rescheduled delivery for the next day, the 12th. Whatever no big deal. Received it, threw it on my oneplus charger and went through set up and update process. 40 mins later it was shut off and fried. I guess it was the oneplus charger? Went through troubleshooting with Microsoft and they decided to replace it. They sent me a standard ground shipping label and sent it out that day. They won't ship a new one until they receive the old one and with standard shipping it is scheduled for delivery Friday which was 7 days. By the time they get it and send the new one and I receive it, I estimate it will be another week. I'll get my duo two weeks after launch. I know this isn't the greatest phone and it is very over priced. I was paying a premium to get it asap. I'm very frustrated. I will probably return it and check prices in a few months....

 

[Stanley Kubrick]

Gotta laugh...I knew this was extremely overpriced junk the first time I even saw it. SMH

 

[rwertz20]

I pre-ordered the device and knew there would be a problem when the Youtube reviewers were not allowed to discuss the software. I received the device a week ago today and I have had my SIM in since then. The phone would not let you boot up unless you updated the software so the comment earlier about not updating doesn't hold water. I feel this form factor is viable and will be popular with the right market. This is a work-centric device as I see it, and the comments about the software are not wrong but maybe a bit misleading. It is not the fluid experience I was accustomed to with my Pixel 4XL but I wasn't expecting it to be. While not as bad an Alpha build you could argue this feels like a Beta build. The gestures take getting used to, as they are similar to but sometimes different than the Pixel gestures. Sometimes the launcher stutters and there is lag from time to time. I think in M/S's quest for thinness to validate the form factor they cut too many corners for a $1,500 device. Extra RAM probably would have helped but I'm hoping there will be updates that alleviate those launcher issues and add some functionality as the launcher is BARE BONES. Wireless charging would have been nice but the coil would take space so back to thinness. An IP rating would have been nice for the money, bigger batteries but I will say the battery life has been better than I would have thought unless I use in book mode and have both screens fired up at the same time which I think a power user will most likely operate this way. Where M/S really has missed so far are the notifications, the pull down shade is crazy narrow for the screen width and I cannot use the notifications the same way I did on my Pixel. I cannot reply directly to a text from the notification without the app itself opening up. Admittedly I've been using A 11 for several months now but I think I remember doing that on A 10 too. All in all, I really like the device, it has shortcomings in hardware too, little sharp in the form where the screens end and especially in the bottom left corner when using the device folded in half, right on the hinge but if you understand what you're getting and manage your expectations I think you'll be pleased.

 

[audri5]

I did all the updates straight out the box. All the updates in the play store. (there were a lot of them) I don't have any issues with the Surface Duo. I love it! If you actually used it, and didn't like it that's OK but if you just listened to the negative reviews you should give it a chance. I actually left the galaxy fold 1st gen (also a wonderful phone) for this phone.

 

[BKN6917]

Have been using the Duo non-stop for a full week beginning September 10th. I am normally an iOS iPhone user (11 Pro), but I also use a Samsung Galaxy tablet (S7). Immediately updated software upon setup. Initial few hours the gyroscope was a little wonky (flipping from portrait to landscape was not smooth), but after the initial day, it has been working much more smoothly and w/o complaint. I have to say, my expectations for this device were really high so a potential let down was primed and ready. BUT, I have to honestly say, this device met my expectations. BUT I use it for work where MS Office apps like Teams, Outlook, OneNote are used heavily. Being able to use one device to conduct a Teams meeting at the same time as Outlook or OneNote in such a small form factor w/pen input while on the go has been really helpful. Similarly, taking calls (I do use the surface buds) and having two screens (Word and a pdf file) is also really helpful. A few tips:

1. Update the Duo software immediately. I think additional updates are slated to improve features. But from my co-workers' experience, it gets "less buggy" after continued use, particularly the transitions from "postures" and as you get to know how to use gestures to navigate.
2. Get the pen. It's really helpful.
3. Get the buds, hands free makes multitasking and talking worth it.
4. I think most of the negative reviews on this device originates from the angle -- that this is a consumer phone product. I don't think that it is. It is a productivity tool. And it does a great job of doing that, but not so much if you are using this device for heavy video consumption or photography or as a primary phone.
5. Review "tips" in the apps (just go to search and type "tips"). A lot of gestures you can use (i.e., how to use the back swipe on Chrome or within apps since there's no dedicated back button).

 

[kmitchell6]

I'm loving mine. The software out the box is bad but the updates already exist. It is ridiculous that Microsoft shipped review units before they had an update out.