Surface Duo goes official priced at a whopping $1,399, hits the market September 10

Microsoft has officially launched the Surface Duo and answered a key question mark hanging over the device since it was unveiled last year -- its price. In something of a blow to would be early adopters, Microsoft has priced the Surface Duo at an eye-watering US$1,399.

Microsoft will argue, of course, that it is a ground-breaking device and is worth the premium. It features dual  1800 x 1350 5.6-inch OLED displays and a premium build. The company has also worked closely with Google to customize Android to take advantage of the dual-screen approach -- this is aimed at making it a multi-tasking beast.

However, the rest of its specifications underwhelm at the price. It is powered by last year's Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 and paired with just 6 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage. The dual battery system totals just 3,577 mAh which is also seems barely adequate, particularly for a device with two screens to power. It also has just a single 11 MP camera and will make do with 4G LTE.

Anyone still interested in picking up the Surface Duo can do so on pre-order through AT&T, Best Buy and through Microsoft's online store.