The Microsoft Surface Duo is reaching the end of its life as the company has decided to pull the plug on it. That means no more support will be given to the company's first-generation dual-screen smartphone, especially when it comes to its operating system and security updates.
Microsoft Surface Duo Launched While Surface New Was Cancelled Before Officially Being Released
According to XDA-Developers, Microsoft officially announced two units in October 2019. At the time, the two units named were the Surface Duo and the Surface New, which the latter never released.
After its October 2019 announcement, The Verge reported that the Surface Duo was officially launched in September 2020. According to Tech Crunch, it came with decent hardware despite how it lacked in certain areas.
Microsoft Surface Duo Was Said to Only Have Three Years of Support, as Highlighted in Its Support Document and Launch Phase
Some of its limitations include its price tag and how the device targets only very specific markets and is not designed for a more general audience. After a couple of years, Microsoft has officially ended its support for the Surface Duo.
The end of the Surface Duo is not a surprise since its support document and launch phase mentioned how it would only be getting three years of support. That support would be for the device's Android operating system and security updates.
Surface Duo Has Also Been Discounted Several Times From Its Original $1,400 Retail Price
Neowin reported that the time has finally come, and the support has officially ended on September 10. Upon its launch, the device received an Android 10 but was not able to get the Android 11 update until 2021.
It was also reported that the Microsoft Surface Duo only got the Android 11 update in 2022 and that its last official operating system update was the Android 12L. Throughout the years, the smartphone saw a massive discount from its original $1,400 retail price.
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Developers Have Been Trying to Install Different Operating Systems on the Surface Duo
Despite its discounts, the smartphone was unable to create traction when it came to its consumer space. In previous years, the Surface Duo has been the subject of experiments from the software development community.
It was shared that there were dedicated developers who tried to use the device in order to run different types of operating systems. So far, the operating systems that have been tried include Android 13, Windows 10X, and Windows 11 devices.
So far, the Microsoft Surface Duo 2 has surpassed its original version but still has not received that big of attention from users and buyers. It was reported that the Surface Duo 2 will also expire next year on October 21, 2024, when it will no longer receive any OS or security updates, just like what's happening to the Surface Duo.
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