Surface Duo 2 vs Galaxy Z Fold3: The Ultimate Folding Phone Comparison
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The Galaxy Z Fold3 offers a more polished, feature-rich experience with a superior display and camera system. The Duo 2 shines with its unique dual-screen design and Surface-level productivity features, but falls short in some key areas. The Z Fold3 is the overall winner.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Microsoft Surface Duo 2 | Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66, 71 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 48, 66 - Europe |
| 5G bands | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 20, 25, 28, 38, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (5CA) Cat20 2000/150 Mbps, 5G 6 Gbps DL | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 20, 25, 28, 38, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79, 257, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA | 2, 5, 25, 41, 66, 71, 78, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2021, September 22. Released 2021, October 21 | 2021, August 11 |
| Status | Discontinued | Available. Released 2021, August 27 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass) | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus) (folded), plastic front (unfolded), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | Unfolded: 184.5 x 145.2 x 5.5 mm Folded: 145.2 x 92.1 x 11 mm | Unfolded: 158.2 x 128.1 x 6.4 mmFolded: 158.2 x 67.1 x 14.4-16 mm |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + eSIM | Nano-SIM + eSIM |
| Weight | 284 g (10.02 oz) | 271 g (9.56 oz) |
| Stylus support | IPX8 water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Armor aluminum frame with tougher drop and scratch resistance (advertised) Stylus support | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus | - |
| Resolution | 1892 x 2688 pixels (~401 ppi density) | 1768 x 2208 pixels (~374 ppi density) |
| Size | 8.3 inches, 204.0 cm2 (~152.6% screen-to-body ratio) | 7.6 inches, 179.9 cm2 (~88.8% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | AMOLED, 90Hz, HDR, 800 nits (peak) | Foldable Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (peak) |
| Folded position display: 5.8 inches, AMOLED, 1344 x 1892 pixels (4:3) | Cover display: Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 6.2 inches, 832 x 2268 pixels, 25:9 ratio | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) | Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 660 | Adreno 660 |
| OS | Android 11 | Android 11, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 6.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM | 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM |
| UFS | UFS 3.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, panorama | LED flash, HDR, panorama |
| Single | 12 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1.0µm | - |
| Triple | 12 MP, f/1.7, 27mm (wide), 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.4, 51mm (telephoto), 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 2x optical zoom 16 MP, f/2.2, 13mm (ultrawide), 1.0µm TOF 3D, (depth) | 12 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.76", 1.8µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.4, 52mm (telephoto), 1/3.6", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 2x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 123˚, 12mm (ultrawide), 1.12µm |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, gyro-EIS, HDR | 4K@60fps, 1080p@60/240fps (gyro-EIS), HDR10+ |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | - | HDR |
| Single | 12 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1.0µm | 4 MP, f/1.8, 2.0µm, under display Cover camera: 10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3", 1.22µm |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps, gyro-EIS |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| - | 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.1, A2DP, LE, aptX Adaptive | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS, BDS | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.2, DisplayPort | USB Type-C 3.2 |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (side-mounted), dual accelerometer, dual gyro, dual proximity, dual compass | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| - | Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung DeX (desktop experience support) Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 23W wired | 25W wired 11W wireless 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 4449 mAh | Li-Po 4400 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Glacier, Obsidian | Phantom Black, Phantom Silver, Phantom Green, Thom Browne Edition, Wooyoungmi Edition |
| Models | - | SM-F926B, SM-F926B/DS, SM-F926U, SM-F926U1, SM-F926W, SM-F9260, SM-F926N |
| Price | About 1480 EUR | € 453.57 / $ 367.74 / £ 449.99 |
| SAR | - | 0.73 W/kg (head) 1.22 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | - | 1.04 W/kg (head) 1.44 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | - | Endurance rating 75h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Loudspeaker | - | -25.6 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 635918 (v8), 752218 (v9) GeekBench: 12719 (v4.4), 3239 (v5.1) GFXBench: 38fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Microsoft Surface Duo 2
- Unique dual-screen design
- Excellent for multitasking
- Tight Microsoft ecosystem integration
- Slim and lightweight
- Smaller screens
- Noticeable gap between screens
- Less impressive camera
- Shorter battery life
- Higher price
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G
- Larger, brighter, and more durable foldable display
- Excellent camera system
- Longer battery life
- More refined software experience
- Water resistance
- Expensive
- Bulky design
- Crease in the foldable display
Display Comparison
The Galaxy Z Fold3 boasts a larger, brighter, and more refined foldable display with a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate. The Duo 2's dual screens, while innovative, are smaller and have a noticeable gap between them. The Z Fold3's cover screen is also more usable than the Duo 2's.
Camera Comparison
The Galaxy Z Fold3's camera system is significantly more advanced, offering better image quality, more versatile shooting options, and improved video recording capabilities. The Duo 2's cameras are adequate but lack the sophistication of the Z Fold3.
Performance
Both devices share the same Snapdragon 888 chipset, delivering comparable performance for most tasks. However, Samsung's software optimization and thermal management are generally better, potentially leading to slightly more sustained performance under heavy load.
Battery Life
The Galaxy Z Fold3 demonstrates superior battery life, achieving an endurance rating of 75 hours. The Surface Duo 2's battery life is noticeably shorter, struggling to last a full day with moderate use.
Buying Guide
The Microsoft Surface Duo 2 is ideal for productivity-focused users who value a unique dual-screen experience and tight integration with Microsoft services. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G is best for those seeking a versatile device with a large, vibrant display, excellent camera capabilities, and a more mature folding phone ecosystem.