Does the Surface Duo support NFC?
Does the Surface Duo have NFC?
Microsoft's Surface Duo is a unique device that has a form factor unlike just about any other device. But while the Surface Duo is unique, it is behind when it comes to some internals if you compare it to many smartphones. Notably, the Surface Duo does not have NFC. That means you can't use it for wireless payments with Google Pay or with other systems that require NFC.
NFC is also used occasionally for sharing files by physically touching a device to an NFC chip, but payment methods are a far more common use of NFC.
Microsoft positions the Surface Duo as a device for productivity. It features two screens attached at a hinge. You can use these screens in different "postures," including using the screens side-by-side or with one display over the other vertically. You can also flip the device around on its hinge to use a single screen at once.
Microsoft shared a statement on why the Surface Duo does not have NFC:
Surface Duo does not currently offer NFC. The role of any first-generation design is to focus on fundamental scenarios that solve customer challenges. Surface Duo is purpose-built for mobile productivity and giving people new ways to complete complex tasks while away from their computer. With this core priority complete, we will listen to customer feedback and apply that lens to future iterations of the product.
This unique form factor allows you to multitask by having two apps at once or increase productivity by expanding an app across two screens. The Surface Duo also supports the Surface Pen, which provides another way to record content.
Does the Surface Duo work with Google Pay?
Microsoft doesn't refer to the Surface Duo as a phone, but it does have telephony capabilities. You could use the Surface Duo to replace your smartphone in many ways if you'd like. Unfortunately, one of those ways will not be with technology that uses NFC. If you rely on Google Pay or another NFC-enabled payment system such as many metro or subway payment systems, you'll have to carry around another device or a contactless card.
If you rely on NFC, you'll likely be disappointed to see that the Surface Duo doesn't have NFC, but if you plan to use it primarily as a productivity device, you might not miss it too much.
Surface Duo hardware specs
The Surface Duo is an ultra-thin device that can be used to make phone calls, connect to the web, and use Android apps, but it isn't exactly a phone in the traditional sense. Microsoft didn't fill the Surface Duo with the latest and greatest hardware specifications.
The Surface Duo runs on a processor that is now over a year old, the Snapdragon 855. It also doesn't have a camera designed to compete with flagship phones, and it doesn't have NFC.
What the Surface Duo does provide is a unique form factor catered specifically for productivity and multitasking.
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.
Microsoft Surface Duo
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