Microsoft is not having a good time updating its Android smartphone duo. After releasing Android 12L in 2022, the company has only shipped small and security-only updates for its dual-screen phones, leaving them without device-specific fixes and improvements. And to add insult to injury, last month's update has arrived with a significant delay.
The April 2023 firmware update for the original and second-generation Surface Duo is now available for download with a puny size of just 25MB (via Windows Central). Although Microsoft has yet to update the official documentation, it is safe to assume that the only change in the release is monthly Android security patches.
The lackluster software support and reports about Microsoft scrapping its plans to release a Surface Duo "3" picture a grim future for the company's post-Windows Phone mobile ambitions. Still, there are rumors about Microsoft considering moving from a dual-screen to the traditional foldable form factor, so perhaps the hope is not lost. However, you should not expect such a device to appear earlier than the second half of 2024.
With more manufacturers jumping into the sea of foldable, Microsoft might be as late to the game as it was in 2011. Meanwhile, the original Surface Duo and its successor now look more like abandonware.
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