Surface Duo Teardown: We Broke It So You Don’t Have To

We first found out about Microsoft’s interest in building a dual-screen foldable device way back in 2009, when they revealed their Microsoft Courier concept device. Almost 10 years later, that dual-screen foldable is a reality. The Microsoft Surface Duo has Dual AMOLED screens and a 360 degree hinge system that can transform the device into a variety of form factors. 2020 has been a major year for fold-able devices and they’ve been all over the place with repairability. This is a novel idea, even among fellow foldables, so we’re excited to crack this thing open and see how Microsoft finally realized this ambitious dream of theirs.
Check out our written teardown for beautiful photos and some more analysis: www.ifixit.com...
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[@StevenEveral]

"The glue is tough and stringy, making deep blind prying feel like slicing through delicate cables." *pries through the battery cable*

[@kbhasi]

I heard it as "delicate kittens" 😖

[@christiancarter7563]

Ifixit: accidentally rips out main battery. Surface Duo: Thus is fine, I’m fine. But owe 🥺

[@TCHGOD]

🤣

[@hamad9068]

what

[@wildfred]

that's not "glue" in the back of the motherboard, is graphite for thermal dissipation.

[@3dPate]

lol such a cool use of heat dissipation and ifixit just called it tape lol

[@JorgePerez-de5ne]

Yup.

[@tokiomitohsaka7770]

Thank you for the teardown! If I may suggest for future videos, please make sure the background music is weaker than the voiceover, so it wouldn’t interrupt the listening experience.

[@PhuketMyMac]

Agree

[@pklungel]

I came here to say the same thing. The background music is too loud and quickly gets annoying.

[@andrew_koala2974]

100% concur with your comment about background music. What is this obsession with background music? 1. It is not necessary; and 2. When the obsession is so powerful that one cannot escape it keep the levels down to an absolute minimum barely audible audio level.

[@matiakd]

This happens because the audio is mixed on flat reference monitors or headphones which have much better sound staging capabilities. When we listen to it on our phone/tv/ headphones is sounds like hot garbage

[@andreylucass]

Unbelievable how a channel created 13 years ago with almost 1 million subscribers and thousands of videos (not to mention a millionaire famous company) still making this amateur mistake.

[@AbdullahMirza2piR]

With hardly any prior experience, I repaired the display connector on my surface book keyboard base (1/10 repairability score) using an old knife--and a lot of patience.

[@taranlall5847]

ifixit broke something ?!?! I thought that was only me 🤦🏻‍♂️💩😂

[@xanderbose974]

What no hinge tear down included?

[@sotypme4813]

Darn it. I was really looking forward to cracking mine open and mucking around inside. Thanks for the spoilers, iFixit.

[@andreylucass]

The music is too loud.

[@andreylucass]

I think you should buy at least two models, one of which you do whatever you want to experimenting and the second you do a video with the final guide.

[@theslimbin]

the really reminds me of the opening pains of the surface pro 4 and book

[@NeilDSouza7]

This is a LOL Teardown - Tears for those who attempt it...

[@Wynner3]

This guy's voice is the best I've heard since the pandemic started. I hope he gets to do some more teardown videos in the future.

[@Mireaze]

I still hate that they haven't announced an international date yet

[@adaml.5355]

Have you seen the reviews? It's a piece of crap.

[@James-lw3gi]

Adam L. Not all reviews echo that. And mostly it’s just software bugs.

[@James-lw3gi]

Mireaze I’m an Aussie. I ordered one and am having it shipped over. I’m super excited

[@dimitris_official]

@@adaml.5355 None of the reviews I've seen seem to understand the purpose of this device.

[@MrCoolduddy]

@@James-lw3gi Have a better look at the reviews. I've seen several and it appears its a piece of junk, literally. Camera crap, sound crap, small battery, laggy & buggy software.

[@zerioification]

If I want to replace the glass screen, what glue should I use?

[@polymatrix]

We appreciate the sacrifice of your Surface Duo.

[@steamcoalsteveaustin3506]

We need a teardown for Surface book 3! I am waiting for it..

[@dlz1893]

Exactly!

[@Noah-Lach]

That's the nicest-looking rear glass I've seen since the silver iPhone X.

[@shqiperiaime23]

please fix audio , background music is louder

[@luqmansantosa5836]

is there any way to replace the whole plastic frame/ body + where to buy it?.. i live in south east asia and havent found any luck for repair

[@VR_SHOW]

8 hr in etanol by all sides, tooth floss, heat and a lot of patience - helps you replace both screens

[@andrewd3899]

Great idea and video - however, bad idea with the audio. The background music is disturbing and too loud. I found it hard to hear the voice over.

[@lucaciprian8923]

Great informative video as usual, but background music is a little bit overpower compared to the ifixer voice.

[@nchia]

This is why aliens 👽 fear getting captured.

[@E-hab]

I think the tape under the motherboard is graphite heat dissipation.

[@PraneethKannegolla]

Galaxy fold two teardown

[@hanpratama9603]

I like the title, good video! 👍

[@ShowXTech]

It doesnt support Wifi 6 because of the "old" 855 Soc

[@EdEngelkingII]

I’m sure this would be a great tear down, but I can’t hear the voice over due to the incredibly loud audio.

[@eccodreams]

Great vid, but the mic is a little quiet this time around guys :)

[@808zhu]

Thank you for your sacrifice. 😬

[@squirtle88]

tis the season! to TEAR

[@louisc8873]

do sony wh100xm4 next

[@raobaljeetyadav723]

Dir sir iPhone 7 ka back camera mill shakta ha

[@Pinkyou647]

I think the rating should be 5, Because this first time u have teardown, If u open that second time u will not damage the parts.

[@AceHernandz]

exactly!

[@brandon_caleb]

‘iFixit’ *breaks battery* becomes iBreakit

[@alierengam1749]

u broke that battery!!!

[@zstratos99]

what about tab s7 plus?

[@adobahbotchway]

Wow, you people are amazing.

[@nick4577]

Shame it wasn’t more repairable, would of loved to see Microsoft make a repairable foldable device

[@feisaljauharitufail]

Its their first generation device so i will overlook that.

[@nick4577]

Feisal Jauhari Tufail it’s 2020, the generation of the device no longer matters

[@adianchowdhury9016]

@@nick4577 Are you sure about that? The galaxy z fold 2 is waaaaaayyyy better than the original galaxy fold. There is a lot the second gen surface duo can work on

[@nick4577]

Adian Chowdhury I’m talking about how the generation of the device should not impact how repairable it should be

[@johnmonk66]

The courier is not a reality, it is an android tablet, not a Windows device at all.

[@andrewjutub]

The problem with the disign is too big frames.

[@ΣτελιοςΜαντακας]

My right screen is broken whare find a new pleace?

[@weltsiebenhundert]

Waiting for the 2. Version. Much better score i think it will accomplish.

[@suprastevio2264]

Thank you Master Yoda👍

[@CF542]

Just make sure you buy the damage warranty if you’re planning on buying this

[@Snap__Official]

When jerry didnt post surface duo teardown Well, go to a alternative

[@iamrajagrawal]

Channel name should be 'iBreakit'.

[@felixli4306]

you just missed the point by not saying how did it get the 2 points ?

[@xbxb]

I think you guys should focus on analyzing repairability of the entry/affordable level devices. Those devices are tend to break easily than the expensive one. If you can afford this almost $2k device, you will definitely not going to fix it by yourself. It's like buying a expensive car and fix it by yourself, coz you know ifixit.

[@Jhonnycomelate]

Wonder how Surface duo 2 turn out to be

[@Djjolly037]

Perhaps you should look up the definition of broken. That cable is most certainly broken

[@scalamasterelectros3204]

Why there isent a headphone jack and a sd card there is plenty off space

[@jammin4jonathan]

Let's see jerryrigeverthing take this device apart

[@YananoBere]

It doesn't deserve a 2 😂😂😂

[@Mattvandeventer]

great video, but the audio is terrible

[@流聿武]

我的surface duo一个铰链坏了，你们能修吗？

[@Root3264]

I hate how all those new fancy devices basically have an expiration date engineered in. I could never hope to swap out simple components like batteries without damaging or breaking the device itself. Really quite a shame!

[@ahmadzahinchowdhury9183]

Can i have the background audio track ID?

[@ounnak6446]

I think you damaged the bigger battery Ruben cable.

[@AntonioNoack]

The background music is too loud :/

[@wasylbasyl]

This thing looks like it belongs to 2015

[@ErnPrivado]

at first I thought its babish. XD

[@KurtPollock]

you broke it.

[@amrabdaldayem45]

music is so loud and the voiceover's voice is so low

[@WhattEvery]

Is that background musak really necessary? Noooo, my earssss!

[@a3kid]

Refers to graphite paper as 'tape' 🙄

[@VisibleReality]

2/10 is better than i expected tbh

[@masamieiri4669]

they are lcd not oled

[@John_Mack]

If it was all held together with screws and no glue iFixit would still give it a score of 2... because that's what they do.

[@sayanmandal3900]

Please speak loud🤨🤨

[@amritachowdhury4831]

use heatgun to open these type of phones

[@GamingLiveHDChannelPH]

iOpener was a thing

[@mohammedmg6354]

muisc too high i couldn't hear a thing

[@DumahBrazorf]

2 is still too much.

[@SamuelCarreira]

Came here only to see the hinges

[@StewartStewart]

Either the music is too loud, or your voice is too soft.

[@BaconFaceMcGee]

Painful video.

[@ConnorGriffinMusic]

I believe the screens are NOT oled

[@mikegolf5427]

IKR?

[@Well_Edumacated]

I dislike how they make these devices as single use.

[@Tremor244]

single use? what do you mean?

[@alwin2024]

Please turn down the background music at least while the presenter is speaking.

[@fish9468]

'we broke some things but it probably wasn't our fault' No it was entirely your fault. This teardown isn't even as bad as the Essential PH-1, which I managed to replace the display and battery on in less than 30 mins. Ifixit called it basically unrepairable... please get better at fixing things ifixit

[@wildprongs]

the background music drowned his voice

[@neilchristiandoroon4677]

They broke not fixing anymore

[@axadort2668]

Webteknodan gelenler

[@pj2600]

music is annoying

[@reknown123]

Imagine how much of an e-waste this thing's going to become once the battery dies.

[@letssaylalala]

Why this thing specifically? Every electronic device will become e-waste eventually lol.

[@WDC_OSA]

Earth is flat.

[@FlavorTrends]

$1299 for this piece of sxxt from the copy company? bring back the old design from 2015...will you buy it

[@safdarjambarkar]

It’s an engineering marvel... better then any foldable

[@cameronm3284]

Pics or it didn't happen

[@shunnybunny]

Looks like a 0/10 for me lol

[@CSLFiero]

I already broke it. It fell off a shoe rack

[@KhanjanYT]

iSlicedit

[@SoWhat07]

I have two Surface Pro 4 i5. The both now not work any more. The first one stopped after permanent death screen. The second from screen flicker. The both fatal problems are very famous on many surface devices. I WILL NEVER BUY HARDWARE FROM MICROSOFT. NEVER!!!

[@-fuk57]

Is that John Michael Godier doing the narration?

[@jeffr3y88]

please low down the bGM... annoying.

[@Mr2pint]

When you compare this with the horrible Samsung designs it's a big win for Microsoft. I think you are being very unfair with the score.

[@manueltorres661]

Turn down the music down

[@MaheshPatelRavani]

Is it me only who is facing some audio issue?

[@Adri_BlackBeast]

Aburrido y tan chapuzas como siempre… 🤦‍♂️👎

[@wanfahimi]

The surface duo half dead in the name of science

[@HamsterRex]

This should have been 0/10. How would you change the batteries and put it back together? It's a glue and tape-filled mess inside. I consider this non-repairable. Why did they go easy on Microsoft?

[@joshhendrickson]

If you head ot the site, iFixit explains why. And that comes down to, you can repair and replace the displays and glass backs without removing any other components.