Would you even call the Duo a foldable?
What phone would you guess Bill Gates is using? Here’s a tip: it’s not a Lumia 950 – that phone is almost seven years old now. A Surface Duo is a more relevant guess considering that it was launched late last year and would suit Microsoft co-founder. But it is hardly an option for a daily driver – in our review we found, among other things, the form factor clumsy, the battery life weak, and the software buggy. You would be better off with almost any other phone. And as Gates recently revealed, he is.
In a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) he mentioned that he is using a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3. Gates said his choice boiled down to its foldable phablet form factor, which allows him to slim down his gadget load to just the phone and a laptop (per SamMobile). It’s also likely that he wants a polished software experience, decent cameras and a long-term, timely update policy.
Still as one of the best reps Microsoft has, one could count on the company’s ongoing collaboration with Samsung also playing a role. Thanks to the partnership between the technology giants, Galaxy devices are the preferred companions for Windows computers with enhanced features in the Phone Link Bridge that allow users to run Android apps, check gallery content on their computers and access the clipboard in two ways.
In terms of pure hardware, you can make a case for the Surface Duo, which has two screens attached to a hinge to give you more screen property. But the lack of screen continuity makes its use a significantly different experience than Fold3.
The Z Fold3 is by far the best folding book-style smartphone on the market, selling over 2.5 million units last year. In pure numbers, its closest competitor is probably Huawei, which is still suffering from a lack of Google services. And given the political hot water that led that company into that situation, it’s probably wise for Bill Gates to avoid being seen with a Mate X.
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