Surface Duo Android 11 Update Coming Just Before Android 12 Launch
Microsoft has had many hardware ambitions, few of which actually bore long-lasting fruits. It's quite reasonable, then, that some were cautiously optimistic about its most ambitious one yet, the dual-screen Surface Duo. It was also unsurprising when Microsoft's actual implementation and post-sales performance left much to be desired, like its promised regular updates for the Android device. Case in point is the Android 11 that is still fortunately coming but probably just a month before Android 12 becomes available.
Disregarding how the hardware was a year old when the Surface Duo launched, Microsoft made the big boast that it would provide three years of Android updates for the device last year. Those three years are a bit open to interpretation because it may mean three Android versions or how many versions it can release in a span of three years. Judging by this latest tip, it's already running a bit late.
Dr. Windows from Germany shares that Microsoft is planning to roll out Android 11 for the Surface Duo sometime in Summer this year. That's still a rather large span of time that could end up being late September. That would mean that the device will be a year late to the Android 11 party despite Microsoft's promises of a timely update to that version.
The site does explain one reason why Microsoft is running extremely late. Microsoft and Google were reportedly collaborating quite intensely in pushing Microsoft's dual-screen changes into Android itself for the benefit of any other manufacturer that wishes to make a similar device. We'll give it the benefit of the doubt and give credit where it's due when proof of this generosity surfaces.
That said, there are other things that are not going in the Surface Duo's favor. It will only be this week that the device will officially launch outside of the US and in limited countries only. It still has a rather expensive price tag for a device with now two-year-old hardware but hopefully, the recent price cut will stick through this global launch. By itself, the Surface Duo is still an impressive and tempting device, but there are a lot of other factors to consider when investing in what some fear to already be abandonware.