The Microsoft Surface Duo plastic frame is cracking around the USB-C port

The Surface Duo has a plastic frame, possibly to allow for its impossibly thin and comparatively light design, but it seems that also has some disadvantages.

Surface Duo owner Algreimann on Reddit reports that the frame of his Surface Duo has already cracked around the USB-C port.

It seems likely that if it happened to one person so close to launch it will happen to many more people over the life of the device. In the same thread, a number of other owners are complaining of the same issue.

More pictures have now also emerged from earlier victims of what now appears to be a clear design error.

Above owner Yi Han warns:

TO ALL SURFACE DUO USERS!!
Please take extra caution on this particular spot of the type c port. Very thin plastic! Extremely easy to break! Mine cracked just by putting the device in the pocket. I’m gonna RMA mine see if they are willing to replace the unit.

Another redditor had the same experience, but reports, at least it was a clean break.

A fourth example has now also popped up.

Another owner on Twitter notes that the plastic broke merely from inserting the USB-C cable:

https://twitter.com/COMNTERI/status/1307546469449129985

From teardowns of the device, we also know the USB-C port is soldered onto the motherboard, and if the port allows enough freedom of movement to crack the frame it seems likely that the port itself will be vulnerable to damage over time.

What do our readers think? Let us know below.

You can learn more about Surface Duo from here and purchase the new Surface Duo from Microsoft Store here starting at $1399.