New Surface Duo hinge durability concerns surface

The Surface Duo is Microsoft’s first handset in nearly 5 years, and is a rather ambitious device, with multiple moving parts.

Of course moving parts is often the Achilles heel of electronics, and now owners of the Surface Duo are reporting that the hinge is not as durable as earlier believed.

Owners have started to report that the hinge is not rotating as smoothly and evenly as when they purchased the handset a few weeks ago, with many complaining of “grittiness” and one pane moving more freely than the other.

One owner, Featherrage, uploaded this picture on reddit, showing the hinge in a completely unsupported position, suggesting the gears inside have slipped badly.

One owner says they have to push the screen to make both sides flat while a 3rd noted:

I’ve got this exact issue too. I noticed the hinge felt gritty Thursday night and woke up Friday AM and felt like the device was going to break opening it. Slowly pried it open and the top hinge is malfunctioning

This is certainly far from the trouble-free experience that was expected by avoiding flexible screens, suggesting hinges are hard no matter what your actual screen is made of.

Have any of our readers experienced these issues? Let us know below.