Here’s a list of the best PC cases for gamers in 2022

A PC case is more than just an enclosure for the components. It acts as a solid platform for the overall build and plays a huge role in deciding a lot of other factors such as the radiator support for cooling, GPU support, and more. Besides that, a PC case also acts as a statement piece for your desk. If you’re spending a ton of money putting together a high-end gaming rig, then why not give it some personality? In this article, we’ll be taking a look at some of the best PC cases for gamers in 2021.

As a gamer, you’re likely to build anything from a mid-range PC to a high-performance powerhouse to handle all the new and demanding titles on the market. We recommend picking up a good quality PC case with good support for cooling solutions. You must pick up a PC case that has a lot of space for all the high-end components or even a custom loop for water cooling. Perhaps picking up an airflow case isn’t a bad idea either. The best airflow cases on the market have a lot of air vents and space to install case fans.

Navigate this article:

• Best overall PC case for gamers: Lian Li O11 Dynamic EVO
  • Second best overall PC case for gamers: Fractal Design Meshify 2 Compact
• Best full tower PC case for gamers: Corsair Obsidian 1000D Super Tower
• Best case for dual PC setups: Phanteks Enthoo Pro II
• Best RGB case for gamers: Corsair iCUE 4000X RGB case
• Best budget ATX PC case for gamers: Phanteks Eclipse P360A
• Best compact ATX case for gamers: Lian Li Air Mini
• Best miniITX case for gamers: Antec Cube designed by Razer

Best overall PC case for gamers: Lian Li O11 Dynamic EVO

Lian Li has been making waves in the industry for quite some time now. The company has a ton of PC cases on offer and some of them are extremely popular in the PC hardware space. In fact, we picked the Lian Li O11 Dynamic XL as the best overall PC case in our collection of the best PC cases. We still think the O11 Dynamic is one of the best PC cases you can buy on the market, especially as a gamer. As such, the Lian Li O11 Dynamic EVO is our pick for the best PC case in this collection.

The Lian Li O11 Dynamic EVO is identical to the standard O11 Dynamic case. The main difference between the standard and the EVO version is the fact that the EVO version of the case can be flipped and used in reverse mode. This essentially means that you can move the tempered glass side from left to right. This particular process requires a full disassembly, but the fact that it’s doable makes it a unique case by itself.

Besides that, this is the same Lian Li O11 Dynamic PC case that’s packed with a ton of features. The O11 Dynamic is a mid-tower PC case with a dual-chamber design. This case, as you can see, has plenty of glass panels on both the front as well as sides. There’s a mesh panel on the top with vents for airflow. This is one of those mid-tower cases that have enough space for plenty of case fans or even a custom cooling loop.

You can install up to three 120mm or two 140mm fans on the front, top as well as bottom panels. There’s also space to add a 120mm fan at the back. As for the radiator support, you can mount up to a 360mm radiator on the top, bottom, or front. You can also mount smaller 60mm fans on the hard drive cage to maintain the temperature of the drives. While the Lian Li O11 Dynamic EVO PC case doesn’t come with any pre-installed fans, you do get a front panel LED strip. This LED strip can be controlled via the motherboard software or a hub.

Another interesting thing about this case is that you can move the IO ports of the case between four different locations on the case. This can be done without any tools, which makes it very convenient to customize. Notably, you can also buy a port hub as an additional accessory for the case to add more ports. This feature is unique to the O11 Dynamic EVO that no other PC case currently offers.

Overall, we think there’s a lot to like about the Lian Li O11 Dynamic EVO PC case. It’s obviously not a perfect case for everyone, but there’s still a lot to consider. It has plenty of space for all the components, support for dual PSU mounts, a cable management bar, modular design, and more. The Lian Li O11 Dynamic EVO is available in black, white, and grey color options, so pick the one that suits the overall aesthetics of your setup.

Lian Li O11 Dynamic EVO

The Lian Li O11 Dynamic EVO PC case is a solid mid-tower cabinet with lots of customization options and plenty of space.

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Second best overall PC case for gamers: Fractal Design Meshify 2 Compact

The Fractal Design Meshify 2 Compact is one of the best mid-tower PC cases you can buy on the market right now. We think it’s one of the best Fractal Design PC cases right now mainly because of its form factor and the ability to keep the internals cool. The Meshify 2 Compact PC case, as you can see, comes with the iconic mesh front panel with an angular design. This stylish panel provides fresh filtered air to the chassis with the help of the fans fitted on the front. The top is also a mesh panel for airflow. You get an option to choose between a solid or a tempered glass panel for the side. Tempered glass is probably the one we recommend if you’re using this case to build a high-end gaming rig with RGB lights. The glass panel will allow you to see the internal components.

The front mesh panel also has a removable dust filter under it making it easier to clean. You can also remove the nylon filter for increased airflow. You get dust filters for both the top as well as the bottom panel of the case too. One of the best things about the Meshify 2 Compact PC case is that it comes with three pre-installed fans out of the box. You get two 140mm Dynamic X2 fans on the front along with a single 120mm fan at the back for exhaust. There’s space to add more fans, but you’ll have to buy them separately.

In addition to the one that’s already installed on the case, you can add another 140mm fan on the front, two 120mm or 140mm fans on the top and a single 120mm fan at the bottom. When it comes to the radiator, there’s space to mount up to 360mm radiator on the front, up to 240mm radiator on the top, and two small 120mm radiators at the back and the at the bottom each. The Meshify 2 Compact also comes with cable routing space, making it easier to manage the cables inside the chassis.

The Meshify 2 Compact PC case is big enough to house a ton of components inside the chassis. You can install GPUs with a max length of up to 341mm and CPU coolers with a max height of up to 169mm. The PSU sits inside a separate compartment at the bottom along with drive bays. The Meshify 2 Compact has seven expansion slots, two 3.5″ and four 2.5″ drive days at the bottom. It’s also relatively easy to build inside the Meshify 2 Compact PC case as the top panel can easily be removed. We recommend picking up the Meshify 2 Compact PC case mainly for its airflow capability.

You can easily build a high-end PC inside this chassis without worrying about the thermals. You can use both CPU fan coolers or AIO liquid CPU coolers with this case. You can also use an mATX motherboard and use the remaining space inside the chassis to build a custom cooling loop.

Fractal Design Meshify 2 Compact

The Fractal Design Meshify 2 Compact is an excellent ATX case with plenty of space inside the chassis and a mesh front panel for airflow.

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Best full tower PC case for gamers: Corsair Obsidian 1000D Super Tower

The Corsair Obsidian 1000D may seem like overkill for most people, but we had to add this particular case to the collection mainly because of how much value it brings to the table. Full tower PC cases are known for their sheer size. Well, it can’t be better than the Obsidian 1000D PC case. This is one of the biggest PC cases on the market right now. The Obsidian 1000D is big enough to house two systems simultaneously. That’s right, the Obsidian 1000D is big enough to house two PCs inside.

We know there are plenty of gamers out there who also like to stream their gameplay on online platforms like Twitch, YouTube, etc. Having a PC case like this will help you build both your gaming as well as streaming PC in a single chassis. Not only will it save you some money, but it’ll also save you a lot of space. It’s also relatively easier to maintain a single case rather than having to deal with two cases for different rigs.

We think the Obsidian 1000D is also one of the best-looking PC cases on the market right now. It features smoked tempered glass panels, giving it a very unique look. This is one of those PC cases that’ll definitely attract a lot of attention. The Obsidian 1000D has a triple-chamber design that makes it very easy to work with. One of the best things about this case is that it has a ton of space to add case fans and radiators for cooling. In fact, the Obsidian 1000D also has radiator trays that allow you to install radiator mounts very easily to the unit.

When it comes to case fans, you can install as many as eight 120mm fans on the front, three 140mm fans on the top, and two 120mm fans at the back. As for the radiator mounts, you can install up to two 480mm radiators on the front, up to 420mm radiator on the top, and up to 240mm radiator at the back. This PC case can easily house a full-fledged water-cooled PC with a custom loop. You can also use this case to build just one PC and use the extra space to hide all your cables, add more storage or even have a dual PSU setup. The Obsidian 1000D also comes with built-in lighting and fan control. You’ll need that given the number of fans that can go into this case.

The Obsidian 1000D comes with 10 expansion slots, and six 2.5″ and five 3.5″ drive bays in total. Component clearance isn’t an issue with this case either. You can install a GPU with a max length of up to 400mm and a CPU cooler with a max height of up to 180mm. This full tower PC case also accommodates anything up to an extended ATX motherboard, so feel free to splurge all you want on high-performance components because the case will be ready for you. We recommend adding RGB fans or even some RGB lights for added bling. The tempered glass panels will allow you to see through the case, so it’s great if you like having a lot of RGB lights.

Corsair Obsidian 1000D

The Corsair Obsidian 1000D full-tower cabinet is the biggest case we have in our collection. It can contain two separate PC builds inside.

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Best case for dual PC setups: Phanteks Enthoo Pro 2

While the Corsair Obsidian 1000D is also a pretty big PC case, we think the Phanteks Enthoo Pro 2 has got to be the biggest PC case on the market right now. We’re talking about a case that’s big enough to easily accommodate two PC builds inside. In addition to the primary build with up to an E-ATX motherboard, the Enthoo Pro 2 has space for a secondary ITX system at the bottom too. This type of case is perfect for power users and streamers who can greatly benefit from a dual PC setup. The Enthoo Pro 2 is also largely used as an enterprise solution as it can house an SSI EEB motherboard too.

We wanted to add this case to the collection as a solid option for gamers mainly because of all the space it offers. The chassis is big enough to accommodate a fully water-cooled build, complete with a custom loop. We highly recommend investing in a case like this even if you don’t necessarily want to have a dual PC setup. You can use all the space to manage cables, add water cooling components such as a pump, a reservoir, and more.

One of the highlights of the Phanteks Enthoo Pro 2 PC case is that it offers exceptional airflow performance. The case comes with a mesh front panel that uses Phanteks high-performance fabric material. This mesh panel is made out of rugged and durable nylon fiber for increased airflow. It also helps keep the dust from getting inside the chassis, which is good.

The Phanteks Enthoo Pro 2 is big enough to house as many as fifteen 120mm fans. There’s space to install up to four 120mm or three 140mm fans on the front. The top panel can hold up to three 120mm or 140mm fans. You can also install up to four 120mm fans on the internal side panel and three 120mm or a single 140mm fan at the bottom of the case. There’s also space to add a single 120mm or a 140mm fan at the back for exhaust. Radiator support is also plenty inside the Phanteks Enthoo Pro 2 case.

You can mount up to a 480mm radiator on the front, up to a 360mm radiator on the top panel, up to a 360mm radiator on the bottom panel as well as either a 120mm or a 140mm radiator at the back. There’s also space to add an option 480mm radiator inside the chassis on the side panel. It’s safe to say that the Enthoo Pro 2 is fully kitted to house a fully water-cooled system. The case also has massive storage support. You can add as many as eleven 2.5″ SSDs and up to four 3.5″ HDDs inside the case.

The big thing about the Phanteks Enthoo Pro 2 case is that it’s not as expensive as a lot of other full tower PC cases on the market. It’s perfect for those who’re looking to build a high-performance PC, as you can use the money saved on the PC case on other core components such as the best CPUs, motherboards, and more.

Phanteks Enthoo Pro 2 PC case

The Phanteks Enthoo Pro 2 is a full tower PC case with space for up to two separate builds inside. It also offers great airflow performance.

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Best RGB case for gamers: Corsair iCUE 4000X RGB case

Corsair’s iCUE RGB-enabled PC cases are perhaps one of the most popular RGB cases on the market. Sure, you can always buy a normal PC case and add RGB lights to it, but the Corsair iCUE cases come with RGB-enabled fans out of the box. We’ve picked the Corsair iCUE 4000X RGB case for this collection mainly because this also happens to be one of the best mid-tower PC cases around. The iCUE 4000X RGB is a mid-tower PC case that comes in black or white-colored options.

The Corsair iCUE 4000X RGB, as you can see, comes with a tempered glass panel for both the front as well as the side. The top panel has air vents for airflow under which you can attach some fans to move more air in and out of the chassis. One of the best things about these Corsair iCUE RGB cases is that they come with ARGB fans pre-installed out of the box. This means you’re ready to build the PC without having to spend any more money on case fans.

The Corsair iCUE 4000X RGB case is equipped with three Corsair AirGuide RGB fans on the front. In addition to the ones that are already installed, there’s space to add more fans to the chassis. You can install two more 120mm or 140mm fans on the top panel along with a 120mm exhaust fan at the back. You also get decent radiator support with the Corsair iCUE 4000X RGB case for liquid cooling. There’s space to add up to a 360mm radiator on the front along with a 240mm radiator on the top. This may not be enough for a fully water-cooled build with a custom loop, but there are plenty of compatible AIO liquid coolers on the market that is worth checking out.

You can easily control the lighting of the case or any other RGB lights that you add with the help of Corsair iCUE software. The 4000X RGB case also comes with plenty of space behind the motherboard tray for cable management. It’s also worth pointing out that this particular case supports vertical GPU mounting, thanks to a couple of vertical expansion slots at the back of the case.

When it comes to the component clearance, you can install a GPU with a max length of up to 360mm and a CPU cooler with a max height of up to 170mm. You also get two 3.5″ and 2.5″ drive bays for storage drives. All in all, we think the Corsair 4000X RGB case is a solid option to consider if you’re looking for an RGB case for your gaming rig. You can also check out the Corsair iCUE 5000X RGB case if you want something bigger. The 5000X is a full tower case which means it’s more suitable for a fully water-cooled PC with a custom loop. Both of these PC cases are readily available on the market, so be sure to check them out.

Corsair 4000X RGB PC case

The Corsair 4000X RGB is a fantastic PC to for those who're looking to buy an RGB-enabled PC case for their new gaming rig.

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Buy from Amazon

Best budget ATX PC case for gamers: Phanteks Eclipse P360A

Buying expensive components for a high-end gaming rig significantly increases the overall budget of your build. This is exactly why we wanted to add a relatively affordable PC case to this collection. We think the Phanteks Eclipse P360A is one of the best affordable mid-tower PC cases on the market. It carries a price tag of just $80, making it the most affordable PC case in this collection. But just because the Eclipse P360A is affordable doesn’t necessarily make it a bad PC case. In fact, this budget case is just as good as many other mid-tower PC cases we’ve mentioned in this collection.

The Phanteks Eclipse P360A comes with a mesh front panel for better airflow. A mesh panel is almost always better than having either a solid or a tempered glass panel. The installed fans on the other side of the case tend to benefit from the mesh panel as there’s more ventilation. The front panel of the Phanteks Eclipse P360A comes with a dust filter to keep the dust and dirt away from the internals. Another thing that’s worth mentioning about this case is that it comes with two 120mm D-RGB PWN fans pre-installed out of the box.

A lot of budget PC cases don’t come with pre-installed fans. The Eclipse P360A, on the other hand, comes with D-RGB PWN fans. You can also sync the fans with the motherboard and control it using any third-party lighting software. The included RGB fans add a touch of bling to the case and look great on both the black as well as the white variant of the case. The top of the case also has vents for airflow. There’s a dust filter on the top too, which is again a nice addition.

In addition to two 120mm fans that are pre-installed on the front, you can add two more 120mm or 140mm fans on the top panel. There’s also space to add another 120mm fan at the back for exhaust. When it comes to the radiator support, you can mount up to a 280mm radiator on the front along with another 240mm radiator on the top panel. There’s also space to add a small 120mm radiator at the back panel.

The Phanteks Eclipse P360A also comes with vertical expansion slots that lets you mount the GPU vertically to the system. You will, however, need a vertical GPU bracket for the same if you don’t have one already. You can install a GPU with a max length of up to 400mm and a CPU cooler with a max height of up to 160mm. The case also has two 3.5″ and three 2.5″ drive bays for adding more storage drives to the build. The front panel IO ports include two USB 3.0, audio ports, a power button along with buttons to change the LED mode and LED colors. This particular PC case can fit in motherboards ranging from E-ATX to miniITX, so we think it’s suitable for a variety of different builds.

Phanteks Eclipse P360A PC case

The Phanteks Eclipse P360A is the most affordable PC case in this collection. Despite the price tag, it comes with pre-installd RGB fans and a mesh front panel with dust filters.

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Best compact ATX case for gamers: Lian Li Air Mini

The Lian Li O11 Air Mini is essentially a smaller version of the regular O11 Dynamic PC case that we saw earlier in this collection. This particular case is perfect for those who don’t have a lot of space in their setup. It’s also worth pointing out that the Air Mini PC case is an airflow case. It’s got a mesh front panel instead of a glass panel to allow for more airflow. The top is also a mesh panel as we’ve seen on the standard variant of the case.

One of the best things about the O11 Air Mini PC case is that it comes with three pre-installed fans. This is the only Lian Li O11 case that comes with pre-installed fans out of the box. The O11 Air Mini comes fitted with two 140mm PWM fans on the front along with a 120mm PWM at the rear. Additionally, there’s space to add up to three 120mm or two 140mm fans on the top as well as the bottom panel too. You can also install two more 120mm fans on the side. It’s safe to say that there’s a lot of space to add fans to this PC case, making it one of the best airflow cases on the market.

Despite the small form factor, the O11 Air Mini is perfectly viable to be used for a water-cooled system too. You can install plenty of radiators inside the case without having to deal with any clearance issues. There’s space to mount up to 280mm radiator on the front along with a 240mm radiator each on the side as well as the bottom panels. There’s also a dust filter at the bottom of the case, which means it’ll keep all the dust and dirt away from the internals.

The O11 Air Mini may be a compact ATX case, but it’ll allow you to install either an ATX, an mATX, or a miniITX motherboard inside. The case also has a lot of space inside the chassis which means, you won’t have any issues with component clearance too. You install GPUs with a max length of up to 362mm and CPU coolers with a max height of up to 170mm. The Air Mini case also comes with up to seven expansion slots, allowing you to install even the most modern GPUs out there on the market. As for the front panel IO ports, the case offers two USB 3.0 ports, a USB 3.1 Type C port along with audio ports.

The Lian Li O11 Air Mini is available in black and white colors options, so you can pick the one that matches the overall aesthetics of your setup. The Air Mini isn’t exactly a small form factor PC case. It’s smaller than a lot of other ATX cases on the market, but you might want to look somewhere else if you’re looking for, say, a Mini-ITX case. This is still very much a compact ATX and we think it can be used even for a high-end gaming rig without having to worry about any thermal issues.

Lian Li Air Mini O11

The Lian Li Air Mini O11 is a smaller, airflow version of the bigger Dynamic O11 full-tower PC case.

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Best miniITX case for gamers: Antec Cube designed by Razer

We don’t necessarily recommend buying a miniITX PC case for a high-performance gaming rig. High-end PCs tend to have powerful internals that produces a ton of heat. Since miniITX PC cases aren’t the best for maintaining the thermal output, it’s best if you keep your expectations in check. That being said, if you’re still in the market to buy a new miniITX PC case for an entry-level to mid-range gaming PC, then you might want to check out the Antec Cube case.

The Antec Cube PC case is, without a doubt, the smallest PC case in this collection. This is good for those who don’t have a lot of space to accommodate a full tower or even a mid-tower PC case in their setup. There’s a lot to like about the Antec Cube despite its small form-factor, which is why we wanted to add this as a solid miniITX case option. The Antec Cube is a premium high-end case that comes with acrylic panels for the top, front and right side. The acrylic windows allow you to see the internals of the chassis.

Despite the small form factor, the Antec Cube has enough space to hold a couple of fans and radiators for liquid cooling. There’s space inside the chassis to install three fans. You can install two 120mm fans or a single 140mm fan on the front. There’s also some space to add either a 120mm or a 140mm fan at the back for exhaust. As for the radiator mounting options, you can install up to a 240mm radiator on the front and a small 140mm radiator at the back. There are plenty of AIO liquid coolers on the market that comes with a 240mm radiator, so you might want to consider those options for this build.

When it comes to component clearance, the Antec Cube has enough space for GPUs with a max length of up to 350mm and CPU coolers with a max height of up to 190mm. You can add an SFX PSU inside the case with a max length of up to 200mm. The Antec Cube comes with dust filers for all the vents on the case, which means you don’t have to worry too much about dust or dirt getting into the system. This is crucial for the SFF PC cases as it’s relatively harder to clean the internals of these small cases.

There’s a green-colored Razer logo with LED lights. You also get two USB 3.0 ports along with the audio ports as a part of the front panel IO. There are three expansion slots inside the chassis for your GPU along with two 2.5″ and a single 3.5″ drive bay. The Antec Cube trade blows with a lot of other miniITX cases on the market. We recommend this one over the other options mainly because of its premium build quality and decent component clearance. It’s a little difficult to get your hands on this case right now, but we think it’s worth waiting for a restock.

Antec Cube miniITX PC case

The Antec Cube PC case is a solid option to consider if you're looking to buy a miniITX case for your build.

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Buy from Newegg

Best PC cases for gamers: Final Thoughts

Well, that concludes our list of the best PC cases for gamers. We think the Lian Li O11 Dynamic EVO is the best case to buy for your gaming rig followed by the Fractal Design Meshify 2 Compact. Those leaning towards a high-end rig should consider checking out the Corsair Obsidian 1000D case. It’s one of the most expensive PC cases on the market, but we think it’s worth splurging for all the features it offers. The Lian Li O11 Air Mini is also a great option to consider if you’re looking for a compact case, but not necessarily a miniITX cabinet.

We also encourage you to check out our collection of the best white PC case and even the best pink PC cases if you want your PC to stand out from others. Picking a PC case is only the only first in your PC building process. We hope you’re pairing your case with the best CPUs, best GPUs, etc. for better overall performance. You can also consider checking out our XDA Computing Forums where you can discuss your PC builds or get more product recommendations from the experts in our community.

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Microsoft Surface Duo 2 review: Productivity powerhouse, this time with a decent camera

The Microsoft Surface Duo 2 is the second iteration of the company’s dual-screen smartphone efforts. The first iteration was not something we would call a success. At best, we could say that it got mixed reviews.

The original model had something that you could barely consider to be a camera. And when it launched at $1,399.99, it was using last-gen specs, such as a Snapdragon 855 and 4G LTE. The Surface Duo 2 fixes those things, and it even improves upon the software.

Navigate this review:

• Design: The Surface Duo 2 is the most beautiful piece of hardware I’ve used
• Camera: The Surface Duo 2 is a massive improvement, but it still needs work
• Performance: The Snapdragon 888 and 5G take the Surface Duo 2 to a new level
• Surface Duo 2 Pen Cover, and the Slim Pen 2
• Work and play: Does it make more sense to get a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3?
• Conclusion: Should you buy the Microsoft Surface Duo 2?

Microsoft Surface Duo 2 Specs

Processor	Snapdragon 888 5G Mobile Platform
Body	Open: 145.2 mm (H) x 184.5 mm (W) x 5.50mm (T) Closed : 145.2 mm (H) x 92.1 mm (W) x 11.0 mm (T at hinge) Weight: 284g
Display	Dual PixelSense Fusion Displays open: 8.3” AMOLED, 2688×1892 Single PixelSense Screen: 5.8” AMOLED 1344×1892 (13:9) 401 PPI HDR Wide color 100% SRGB, DCI-P3 Dual displays with 90Hz adaptive refresh rate 800 nits max brightness Display Material: Corning Gorilla Glass Victus
Battery	4449mAh (typical) dual battery 4340mAh (minimum) dual battery
Camera and video recording	Dynamic triple lens rear-facing camera: Wide: 12MP, f/1.7 aperture, 27 mm, 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF and OIS Telephoto: 12MP, f/2.4 aperture, 51 mm, 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS and 2X optical zoom Ultra-Wide: 16MP, f/2.2 aperture, 13 mm, 1.0µm, 110o diagonal field of view with distortion correction Front-facing Camera: 12MP, f/2.0, 24 mm,1.0µm Flash: Dual led – dual color flash Photos: Auto mode with low-light & HDR multi-frame photo capture and dynamic range scene detection Dedicated night photography mode Smooth Zoom between all 3 Rear Facing Camera combined with digital super zoom up to 10x Portrait mode with adjustable depth control. Portrait mode supported for wide and tele camera. Machine learning used for portrait mode Panorama mode with wide dynamic range Capture short video during photo capture with long press Capture photos during video recording Video recording: HDR Video 4K video recording at 30 fps and 60 fps 1080p video recording at 30 fps and 60 fps Slow motion video at 120 or 240fps HEVC and H.264 video recording formats
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 6 802.11ax (2.4/5GHz) Bluetooth: Bluetooth 5.1 NFC for payments and provisioning 5G-NR NSA (mmWave): Release 15 DL 64 QAM up to 6 Gbps, 8xDL CA (800MHz), 2×2 MIMO 5G-NR NSA (mmWave): Release 15 UL 64 QAM, 2xUL CA (200MHz), 2×2 MIMO 5G-NR NSA (mmWave) Bands: n257, n260, n261 5G-NR NSA (Sub-6): Release 15 DL 256 QAM up to 3.2 Gbps, 2xDL CA (TDD+TDD), 4×4 MIMO 5G-NR NSA (Sub-6): Release 15 UL 256 QAM 5G-NR NSA (Sub-6) Bands: n1, n2, n3, n5, n7, n20, n25, n28, n38, n41, n66, n71, n77, n78, n79 Gigabit LTE – A Pro Release 15 with 4×4 MIMO and LAA LTE DL Cat 20, 256 QAM up to 2Gbps, 5xDL CA LTE UL Cat 13, 64 QAM Contiguous 2X ULCA LTE 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 WCDMA: 1,2,5,8 GSM/GPRS: GSM-850, E-GSM-900, DCS-1800, PCS-1900 Location: GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, BeiDou, QZSS
Storage and memory	128GB, 256GB, 512GB 8GB DRAM LPDDR5 memory
Software	Microsoft built-in applications: Intune Company Portal LinkedIn Microsoft Authenticator Microsoft Bing Search Microsoft Edge Microsoft Lens – PDF Scanner Microsoft Office: Word, Excel, PowerPoint & More Microsoft OneDrive Microsoft OneNote Microsoft Outlook Microsoft Start Microsoft Teams Microsoft To Do Surface Tips Xbox Game Pass Microsoft Surface Duo 2 UI core features: App Groups Dual screen windowing Dynamic Dock Dynamic Triple-Lens Camera Microsoft 365 Feed Span apps automatically Surface Duo Glance Bar SwiftKey Adaptive Keyboard Universal Search Your Phone Companion – Link to Windows Other preinstalled apps: Calculator Chrome Clock Contacts Files Gmail Google Assistant Google Calendar Google Drive Google Duo Google Maps Google Photos Google Play Movies & TV Google Play Store Google Search Messages Phone Sound recorder YouTube YouTube Music Operating System: Android 11
Video playback	Video Playback Formats: MKV, MOV, MP4, H.265(HEVC), AVI, WMV, TS, 3GP, FLV, 3G2, AVI, FLV, TS/M2TS, MKV, WEBM, 3GP/MPEG-4,HEIC/HEIF,ASF/WMV, MOV Wireless* Chromecast and Miracast support Wired: DisplayPort over USB-C. Supports video out when connecting via HDMI Adapter 4K video out over USB-C when connecting via DisplayPort cable or HDMI Adaptor to external monitor *Wireless dependent on the TV/monitor support
Security and authentication	Biometric lock type: Fingerprint reader with enterprise grade security Lock type: Swipe, PIN, password Security applications pre-loaded on device: Microsoft Authenticator
Countries and carrier availability	Unlocked device for all carriers Australia Canada France Germany United Kingdom U.S. Austria Belgium Denmark Finland Ireland Italy Netherlands Spain Sweden Switzerland Japan
Sensors	Dual Accelerometer Dual Gyroscope Dual Magnetometer Dual Ambient Light Sensor Dual Proximity Sensor Hall Sensor Fingerprint Sensor
Ports	USB 3.2 Gen 2
Audio	Stereo speaker, Dual Mic AI-based noise suppression and acoustic echo cancellation optimized for productive use in all postures Best-in -class Full Duplex communication for voice calls in hands free mode, receiver and LRA Audio formats supported: 3GP, MP3, MP4, MKV, WAV, OGG, M4A, AAC, TS, AMR, FLAC, MID, MIDI, RTTL, RTX, OTA, IMY Qualcomm® aptX Classic, HD and TWS Hearing aid compatibility: M4/T3 Wake on Voice using Google Assistant
Exterior	Exterior Material: Corning Gorilla Glass Color: Glacier, Obsidian
Pen and inking	Supports all in-market generations of Surface Slim Pen, Surface Pen, and Surface Hub 2 Pen Simultaneous Pen and touch are supported
Price	$1,499.99 / $1,599.99 / $1,799.99

The model that Microsoft sent me for review is the one with 256GB of storage, in Obsidian.

Design: The Surface Duo 2 is the most beautiful piece of hardware I’ve used

I know the header says this, but the Surface Duo 2 is the most beautiful piece of tech I’ve laid my eyes on. Seriously, this thing is a work of art, and you can feel it when you look at it. The original model only came in a white color called Glacier, but the new additional to the family is Obsidian. If you thought that Glacier was pretty, wait until you see this.

To be completely fair, the fact that it’s so beautiful is a detriment to the product. The biggest flaw in the Surface Duo 2 is that there’s no screen on the outside, so every time you want to use your phone, you have to open it. That’s a pain point. We’ll talk a bit about the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 later on, but that’s a similar device that does have a display on the outside, and it works.

But here’s the thing. Part of me would rather give up that very basic functionality and ease of use in order to keep that black glass panel with the silver Microsoft logo. It’s just so pretty.

The Surface Duo 2 is the most beautiful piece of tech I've laid my eyes on.

There is a camera bump on the back. Sorry folks, but this is just physics. The camera on the original Surface Duo was a potato. You see, it only used the front-facing camera, which was also included in a phone that was thin to begin with. If you want better quality, you need more z-depth, plain and simple.

This really isn’t something that you want to compromise either. Many shouted down those that complained about the camera on the original Duo, but you have to remember that the goal is to have one device for everything. Even if productivity is the goal here, we have to remember that the user is replacing their personal smartphone with this, so it needs to be able to take proper pictures.

So yes, when you fold the display back 360 degrees, it can no longer lie flat against the other side. It’s fine though.

The only port is a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port on the bottom, which supports fast charging. There’s no headphone jack, and that’s no surprise given that this thing is just 5.5mm thin. It’s actually quite impressive how thin this thing is, even though it’s a bit thicker than its predecessor. I’m not complaining though. The engineering here is phenomenal.

The two screens are beautiful as well. It has two 5.8-inch AMOLED 1,344×1,892 displays that get 90Hz refresh rates and have 800-nit max brightness. The total pixel density is 401ppi. The colors are vibrant, the blacks are black, and it’s absolutely delightful. They support pen input from any MPP pen, and you can even get a case that will let you attach and charge the Slim Pen 2.

Sadly, the Slim Pen 2 haptics that feel like you’re writing on paper won’t work with this device. I’m told that that feature is coming later.

Microsoft isn't trustworthy when it comes to Android software updates.

Speaking of the screen, as beautiful as it is, I did have some issues with it. There were plenty of times I had to touch or swipe the screen multiple times to do what I needed to do. I really wish the touchscreen was more sensitive, and that’s another thing that I’d like to see in a future update. This is almost certainly something that can be improved in new firmware.

But the unnerving thing is that that’s precisely the area where the original Surface Duo failed. Microsoft shipped the product a certain way, and once it was on shelves, little was done to make it better. The problem with this strategy is that it leaves little confidence that the product will improve over time. It’s an area where Microsoft could really learn from OnePlus.

One other thing to note about the display is that the curve around the back for what Microsoft calls the Glance Bar. It can be useful, but most of the time, it’s not really practical. It does show notifications as they come in, and it lights up when a call is coming in. But to check the time, it’s just as easy to open the device as it is to press the power button to light up the Glance Bar.

Camera: The Surface Duo 2 is a massive improvement, but it still needs work

Like I said earlier, the camera in the original Surface Duo was a potato, so it’s nice to see the team put some actual effort into this one. The Surface Duo 2 has three rear camera lenses: 12MP f/1.7, 12MP f/2.4 2x zoom, and 16MP f/2.2 ultra-wide.

I’m pleased to say that the camera is decent. However, it certainly won’t be winning any awards. In daytime, it’s pretty easy to get right, although it does weirdly try super hard to focus on the middle of the viewfinder. That’s something that other OEMs worked out a while ago, that if your subject is not in the middle, it should still be focused on.

That’s a minor issue though, because the major issue is nighttime performance, and I’m not talking about the quality of photos. When you open up the Camera app at night, the frame rate in the viewfinder drops to a point where it actually gets hard to use. It’s even harder to focus on the subject that you’re trying to focus on. This is an area that I judge based on how many images I have to delete after testing. It was a lot for this phone.

One thing that’s quite cool is that you can do more with the two screens. With the viewfinder on one screen, your image gallery is on the other. Tap an image in the gallery, and the other screen shows editing options. This wasn’t possible with the original Duo because there was no rear camera, so the display has to be folded 360 degrees to take a picture.

These are the samples I took:

I really do like the way that the camera handles colors and such. Everything about it is just so much better than the original Surface Duo.

It’s a key change. I don’t care how much this device is aimed at productivity. It’s still a smartphone, and it has to be good at the things that smartphones do. Having a passable camera is one of those things.

Performance: The Snapdragon 888 and 5G take it to a new level

Honestly, if something ships with a last-gen processor, I’m not too mad at it. I personally believe that flagship smartphone processors offer more power than most consumers will know what to do with. So last-gen chipsets are fine, but not in a $1,400 smartphone, and that was the case with last year’s model.

Now, the Surface Duo 2 is specced out. It comes with a Snapdragon 888, which is the latest from Qualcomm, and it has 5G connectivity. I turn 5G off, of course, because despite living in such close proximity to New York City, T-Mobile’s 5G is still much slower than 4G LTE for me.

So, what can you do with all of the power you get from a Snapdragon 888? That’s a whole lot of productivity right there. And yes, the additional processing power does help in running two apps side-by-side, something you’ll be doing a lot with this device. If you’re not running two apps side-by-side, I’m not sure why you’d be looking at the Surface Duo 2 at all.

Letting you use the second screen as a gaming controller or photo editor is smart and practical.

Another big use case is gaming though. Don’t forget that the company that makes this productivity-focused device also makes Xbox consoles. And alongside the consoles, there’s also an Xbox Cloud Gaming service. You can play mobile games using the second screen as a controller, with games like Asphalt 9, or you can stream console games using an Xbox controller. There are lots of gaming options here.

It’s pretty cool to see that Microsoft has done a lot with the second screen. From using it as a gaming controller to using it to edit photos and more, it’s impressive.

It’s also got a 4,340mAh battery, something that I never had trouble getting through the day with. At worst, it was on 35% when I put it on the charger at night. Sadly, the fast charging isn’t that fast at 23%, so it’s not like a OnePlus 9 Pro where I can just tell you that if the battery dies, you can just charge it for a few minutes. There’s no wireless charging either, sadly.

Surface Duo 2 Pen Cover, and the Slim Pen 2

When Microsoft first announced the Surface Duo 2, it also shown off the Pen Cover, something that wasn’t available at launch. It’s here now though, and frankly, it was one of the things that I found most interesting about the device.

First of all, you can attach a pen to the Surface Duo 2 via the magnets that are already built into the device. It won’t stay on very strongly, and it won’t be straight. This was a workaround that was found in the original Surface Duo as well. With the new Pen Cover, the Slim Pen 2 not only properly attaches to the device, but it wirelessly charges.

There are a few things to note about the design of the case. First of all, it comes in both Obsidian and Glacier, so you can match it with the model you bought (or not). It’s also matte, so you’re going to lose that beautiful, glossy look of the Duo 2, not that the case itself isn’t beautiful. It’s just pretty in a different way.

It also only covers the front. As you can see from the image above, the back is mostly unprotected. There’s a bumper that goes around the sides too, and those little pieces attach via an adhesive, meaning that once you put it on there, you should keep it on there if you want to ever use it again.

The other thing to note is that the Slim Pen 2 increases the gap when the display is folded at 360 degrees. Of course, if you’re buying this case at all, you’re probably way more interested in the productivity implications of having the pen with you than you are with a slightly larger gap.

This product costs $64.99, and that doesn’t include the Slim Pen 2. The pen is an additional $129.99, so after taxes, this all costs well over $200.

I actually think that it’s totally worth it. Adding a pen to this device adds a whole new dimension to it. As I’ve said when talking about the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3, I love the idea of handheld devices with pen support. It’s useful to take handwritten notes, and you can use one screen for being on a call while you’re using the other to take notes in OneNote.

As of right now, the Surface Duo 2 doesn’t support the haptic feedback that you get from the Surface Pro 8 or Surface Laptop Studio. It’s meant to make it feel like you’re writing on paper, and it’s pretty great. Microsoft told me that this is coming later.

Surface Duo 2 Pen Cover

The Surface Duo 2 Pen Cover allows you to magnetically attach a Slim Pen to the phone, and it wirelessly charges while attached.

See at Microsoft

Surface Slim Pen 2

The Surface Slim Pen 2 is designed for use with the Surface Pro 8, Surface Laptop Studio, and Surface Duo 2.

See at Microsoft

Work and play: Does it make more sense to get a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3?

I don’t care what anyone says. The Surface Duo 2 is not a foldable phone. It’s a dual-screen device with a hinge. This is the point where you have to start asking, is it better to have a foldable or a dual-screen device?

Both devices are more similar than you might realize. Microsoft and Samsung have a strong partnership where the Galaxy Z Fold 3 has some solid integrations with Windows and other Microsoft 365 services. Both are priced similarly as well.

There are pros and cons to each. The foldable display on the Galaxy Z Fold 3 will likely break down sooner than two traditional displays would, so that’s a mark in favor of the Duo. On the other hand, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 unfolds into one big display.

Invincible

With the Surface Duo 2, you can force any app to span both screens. Sadly, that doesn’t work very well for a lot of media consumption, as you can see from the Comixology app above. You’ll also have to look at that split if you’re watching videos.

Fragile Things

The Amazon Kindle app is great though. It’s actually made for dual screens, and there’s even an animation that looks like you’re turning the page in a book. Weirdly though, the virtual page is anchored to the left side of the left screen, rather than the middle of the two screens. Either way, the Surface Duo 2 is a great Kindle reader. Of course, so is the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3.

Take a look at the Outlook app as well. One screen shows you all of your emails, and the other shows the email you’re reading. Using one pane for navigation and the other for content is probably the most natural, but the problem is that the industry has already come to a natural solution. That’s because we have a whole tablet market, where app designers have already been using one side for a navigation pane, and they are not splitting the screen at 50%.

Both the Surface Duo 2 and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 are fantastic Microsoft phones. If you’re into Microsoft services, either one deserves your attention. I have to say though, in most situations, I think the big foldable screen is the way to go.

Conclusion: Should you buy the Microsoft Surface Duo 2?

Now, here’s the question. Should you buy this $1,500 dual-screen smartphone? It would be hard to fault you if you did. In fact, it’s so easy to just look at this thing and fall in love with it at first sight. It’s so beautiful, and the AMOLED screen is so easy on the eyes.

It's easy to look at the Surface Duo 2 and fall in love at first sight.

There is some bad though, and it all comes down to Microsoft simply not being trustworthy with software updates. Just so we’re clear, Android 12 shipped this week and Android 11 is still not available for the original Surface Duo. The Surface Duo 2 has some weird touch issues, and like I said, the camera could use some real software improvements at night. Will this stuff get fixed in firmware updates? There’s no way to know for sure. I don’t even want to promise that the firm will deliver support for haptics with the Slim Pen 2, and that’s something it actually promised.

Overall though, I do quite love the Surface Duo 2. There’s something about it that’s pleasant and delightful, and the productivity aspect of it is real. If you spend a lot of time working on the go, you’ll find that it’s super useful to have one app on one screen and another app on the other.

Microsoft really did a great job with this one. The camera is improved, and most importantly, the software is a lot better. I just hope that the Redmond firm continues to do well with it by servicing it with software updates.

Microsoft Surface Duo 2

The Surface Duo 2 fixes the wrongs with the original model, improving the camera, the software, and more.

Features:

Pros: Cons:

See at Amazon

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