Microsoft's Surface Duo cops 1 repairability point for each of its screens: That's 2/10

The lifespan of a smartphone is short and brutal. Their beating heart is a battery that will, given enough cycles, puff up and die. Unfortunately, Microsoft's Surface Duo is designed to confound even the most routine maintenance, as argued by iFixit's latest teardown. With screwdrivers in hand, the team opened up the Duo and …

[Anonymous Coward]

"It really doesn't seem like Microsoft had any thought of battery replacement in mind here"

Oh I think they put a lot of thought into it - 'how to make it as hard as possible'.

[Pascal Monett]

Or, to put it another way : how to make sure I won't buy one.

Mine's the one with the easily replaceable battery.

[CrackedNoggin]

Harder and harder to find, through. I've got a Samsung J710 and 4 batteries so I can use GPS away from the power grid for a couple of days non stop. Checking around there seems to be no 2020 equivalent.

[Triggerfish]

Re: "It really doesn't seem like Microsoft had any thought of battery replacement in mind here"

MS design for this was built on two things, thin as possible and symmetrical.

https://www.theverge.com/21426955/microsoft-surface-duo-folding-android-phone-history

It's just going to be full of engineering compromises when form overrides function.

Not saying the short lifespan of it wasn't a factor though.

[Anonymous Coward]

Repairability? It's unlikely to be a problem when they only sell 3

As the only likely buyers of this device other than iFixit will be Samsung and Motorola!

The former has already destroyed theirs, while the other 2 will only be interested in the hinge design...

End-users? Anyone willing to buy this for $1400 can just buy another one when it no longer works!

[Steve Davies 3]

Re: Repairability? It's unlikely to be a problem when they only sell 3

Yep. This is Zune 2020.

Well done MS. At least you tried but really... wasn't it obvious that this thing is a dud yet some 'C' level exec in MS authorised this for production?

On the bright side, we now know where Sir Jonny went after leaving Apple. Servicability was never a strong point for him.

[Blackjack]

In other words...

Better get a 1000$ laptop and a 400$ phone instead. Dunno about the laptop but I am looking at some Android Nokia phones.

[a_yank_lurker]

Re: In other words...

$1400 for a phone is a bit steep. I agree, buy a laptop and moderately priced phone for the money and you might have some leftover.

[Triggerfish]

Re: In other words...

Surface go and a decent phone for same price, and reasonably portable.

[Nelbert Noggins]

The phone will still outlast Microsoft's interest in supporting yet another mobile OS venture.

[N2]

would that be

weeks or months ?

[Milo Tsukroff]

Tri-point screw = Nintendo

" an uncommon tri-point screw type" Not uncommon, as it's been in use for Nintendo hand-helds for decades.

[steviebuk]

They have become as bad

As Apple. Both, I believe, talk about eco their data centres are. But no one seems to pull them up about how unrepairable their kit is. With Apple going as far as fighting Right To Repair.

[Fabrizio]

to quote Richard Stallman

Defective by design...