Developers and enthusiasts with the necessary skills, spare time, and unstoppable desire to experiment with the Surface Duo and its second-gen variant can download devices" source code from GitHub. Access to this information makes it easier to create whacky projects, such as Windows 11 for the original Surface Duo. Besides, it helps uncover curious tidbits about the devices.
According to Gustave Monce (@gus33000), Surface Duo 2"s kernel source code suggests Microsoft at some point considered a Wi-Fi-only variant of the second-gen dual-screen smartphone. The company has never acknowledged the existence of a cellular-less Surface Duo 2, so its fate and purpose remain anybody"s guess.
Perhaps, the logic behind the idea was to create a cheaper Surface Duo that would serve as a companion device for your primary smartphone—something like a scaled-down Surface Neo with Android instead of Windows 10X.
What we know for sure is that Microsoft experimented with a mid-range Surface Duo 2, which recently emerged on the surface of the internet. Eventually, Microsoft scrapped the cheaper model, opting for the more expensive version you can currently buy for $999 with a massive $500 discount.