Inside the Microsoft Surface Duo

The Microsoft Surface Duo is a $1,399 Android phone made by Microsoft. It's a dual-screen device. We haven't tried a working one yet, but we did get to hold a version with glass to see through to the inside.

The Duo looks like a magic Moleskine made of metal and glass. It's roughly the same size as a little notebook.

The iPhone-esque packaging is appealing.

The 360-degree hinges on the Surface Duo are smooth, from what I got to try to so far. They enable the two halves to bend around and stay in any position.

Stacked on top of a Moleskine and a Nintendo 3DS XL, the Surface Duo looks right at home.

There's one USB-C port on the Surface Duo... and no headphone jack.

A look into the internals. The Surface Duo has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor and several custom Microsoft processors to handle its dual batteries and Microsoft Pen support.

Poking out of a notebook. It's pocketable, but still wider than most phones.

The other battery is smaller, yet Microsoft promises both batteries will drain and charge together. It's a unique proposition.

The hinges funnel wires to both sides, including power management. It's a lot of small wires.

Here is it next to a Nintendo 3DS XL, which the Surface Duo reminds me of. The dimensions are similar, but the Duo is thinner. It can stay open like a little laptop or a handheld games console.

Thickness comparison: The 9.9mm Surface Duo is thicker than the iPhone 11 Pro Max, but not by much.

Microsoft won't say how many bends the hinge is rated to last, but it should work for years, or the life of the device. (We'll have to test.)

Another size comparison.

Verdict so far: The hinge and build feel great. Now let's see how the apps and actual performance work.