Monday, September 14, 2020
iFixit illustrates how the Surface Duo is difficult to repair in its latest teardown.
What you need to know
- iFixit tested the repairability of Microsoft's Surface Duo.
- The Surface Duo earned a 2/10 repairability score, in part due to glued and soldered parts.
- If repaired, it appears that opening the Surface Duo through its displays is the best option.
Microsoft's Surface Duo is a remarkably thin and light device. It has two folding halves that can rotate around a 360-degree hinge. Microsoft spent years designing and refining the Surface Duo. That's nice for creating a thin and light device with a unique form factor, but it's apparently pretty bad for repairability.
iFixit recently tore down the Surface Duo to reveal its glue-filled insides. The Surface Duo has "stubborn glue at all entry points" and has batteries that are glued down. The USB-C port of the device is soldered directly to the main board, which makes it more difficult to repair. For these and other reasons, the Surface Duo earned a 2/10 repairability score from iFixit.
Microsoft seems to prioritize sticking things in place for safety with the Surface Duo. Microsoft's own bumper case is one of the best Surface Duo cases, and even it attaches with adhesive.
It's not that surprising that the Surface Duo isn't easy to repair, though some will be disappointed. Microsoft focused heavily on making the Surface Duo thin and light, and that seems to have come at the cost of repairability. The addition of the hinge also complicates the device's design. In general, Surface devices don't have excellent repairability scores from iFixit, though they've gotten better over time.
Order today
Microsoft Surface Duo
From $1,400 at Microsoft From $1,400 at Best Buy From $1,400 at AT&T
Two screens are better than one
Microsoft delves into the future of foldables with an ambitious dual-screen device, featuring two ultra-thin 5.6-inch AMOLED displays bound by a 360-degree hinge. This pocketable inking-enabled Android smartphone marks the latest in the Surface lineup, geared for mobile productivity.
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