Surface Duo Pops Up At Verizon With No Perks, Discounts

The Surface Duo story has pretty much turned into a tragedy instead of getting a fairy tale ending it should have deserved. That has mostly been due to concerns and complaints about the dual-screen phone's less than durable design and some poor pricing strategy. Despite those factors, Microsoft's first formal Android phone under its own brand is expanding its availability to Verizon's online shelves. Strangely, unlike any other Android phone, you'll have to pay the full price and not even Microsoft's discounted price.

The latter development has been a rather controversial topic, especially among Surface Duo owners. The $1,400 price tag was almost too much to bear but early adopters and believers still sank their teeth into one regardless. Less than two months later, Microsoft made a massive price cut that unsurprisingly made those buyers feel a bit cheated, especially with inconsistent and confusing refund and exchange policies.

Given that issue, it's rather perplexing that Verizon is selling the Surface Duo at almost full price. "Almost" because you do actually get it for $20 less than AT&T's offer. For the 128GB model, you'll have to pay $1,379 and the 256GB configuration will cost you $1,479. Neither carrier has so far shaved $200 off as Microsoft did.

Even more perplexing, however, is that Verizon doesn't even offer any financing option. While AT&T offers an Installment Plan of $46.67 a month for 30 months, your only option on Verizon is to pay the full amount from the get-go. The $20 discount for the $40 activation fee when you order online barely makes a dent either.

At this point, however, it has become even more questionable whether the phone is even worth the discounted $1,199 price. With durability concerns still unaddressed, the Surface Duo has become almost a cautionary tale of how not to do product design and pricing.