Microsoft is done supporting the original Surface Duo, three years after it first launched on September 10. The company has stated from the very start that the Surface Duo would receive just three years of OS updates, meaning today is the last day that Microsoft has to stay true to its word.
Going forward, Microsoft will no longer ship new OS updates or security patches for the original Surface Duo, meaning Android 12L is the last version of the OS it will ever officially receive. Surface Duo only ever got two major OS updates, one shy of the average three that most high-end flagship Android devices get these days.
$1200 at launch, three years of updates. no wonder we’re burying the planet in e-waste and plastic.
You know, I don’t disagree with vendors putting whatever hardware they want in their devices, and I don’t mind vendor-customized software. But what I do mind is the barrier of supporting these devices without relying on the vendor.
If I buy an x86 computer, I can use it basically however long I want to. I can put a variety of operating systems on it, and I don’t really need to rely on vendors much aside from binary driver blobs, which isn’t really that much of a problem these days.
I really wish that Android wasn’t so customized per device. I wish I could just install upstream Android on anything that can run it, instead of special binary images for each vendor’s make and model. Android is open source and all, but simply having the sources to work with is the easiest part. Making it actually work is significantly n more difficult.
Imagine buying that aforementioned x86 machine, but you had to run a giant, customized binary blob specifically made for a laptop’s make and model. And you had to throw it away after a few years not because you need more resources, but because you cannot upgrade the OS anymore.
The reality is that we need laws that force them to either to continue to offer affordable support or publish all the specs and documentation when they drop support. Vendors shouldn’t be allowed to do otherwise.
Yup. All these devices that release, like do we need 6 different iphones every year, 20 different samsung phones, etc.
It’s a fucking joke.
Zune : Never forget
Music players in general haven’t been doing well. Phones are too big to be proper replacements for all uses.
As one of the 17 people on the planet who daily drives the Surface Duo 2, which I traded up from my SD1 for on launch day - I really hope they pull it together for this “maybe/maybe not” SD3 next winter.
This is my all time favorite device I’ve ever owned, and every day I dread the standard wear and tear knowing the few New In Box Surface Duo 2 devices are getting more and more expensive by the day, and there are literally 0 devices in this category besides the SD2.
Sad times.
What category would that be, put of curiosity?
Pocketable, foldable tablet with split displays, a pen with haptic feedback and rigid glass screens for stylus use without damage. Modern Android and a great camera don’t hurt and those make the SD2 better than the SD1; otherwise they’re fairly similar besides the accessory compatibility and some halo functions like wirelessly charging my Slim Pen with the magnet case.
I travel a ton, edit spreadsheets at clients site visits and trade shows while I have Teams open on the other screen, and use the stylus to mark up PDFs for architects and subcontractors. I enjoy being almost required to multi-task when I have my phone open, and the Duo 2 is the best phone for multitasking, bar-none.
The one where it’s abandoned 2 years after it’s released. Fuck that
I moved from the SD1 to the Samsung Fold and love it.
I’ve been considering the GFold5 if my SD2 bites the dust, at least over a Pixel Fold. But I’m making this thing run until it completely dies.
I just worry about those plastic feeling screens, such as on my wife’s GFlex4- I’m always worried I’d scratch the interior with a fingernail and a stylus for editing a spreadsheet is just a no go, from what I understand. Have they improved in that regard?
I bought a SD1 a year ago to use as my work phone. Not for emails and IM clients, but mainly as a secondary prepaid phone that work gets the number for if I’m on call. It’s been awesome and has also been a great little ebook reader. I’m kinda sad there are no more updates but I know I didn’t use it to it’s full capabilities.
That’s going to hurt any kind of confidence users have for Microsoft-designed mobile devices going forward IMO.
A bit of a shame since the Duo was a pretty nice looking device
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Same, but I also imported a Zune all the way over Europe because of course I liked it
They stuck to their word, technically. 3 years, with monthly patches for security, on a device that sold abysmally. There are rumors they sold (most of) the first run of SD2 in the first 4 months, and didn’t bother to produce any more. I know they’ve been out of the consumer SD2 since July/August of 2022- as of January this year, not even my Fortune 50 Corpo clients can get MSFT to pony up a SD2 replacement under warranty or otherwise. They just write a cheque to your account if you request as much.
Microsoft’s mobile team Icarus flew too close to the poorly advertised sun, in this case. Expensive ass phone to build, expensive ass phone to buy, but damn it’s a great device.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Microsoft is done supporting the original Surface Duo, three years after it first launched on September 10.
The company has stated from the very start that the Surface Duo would receive just three years of OS updates, meaning today is the last day that Microsoft has to stay true to its word.
Going forward, Microsoft will no longer ship new OS updates or security patches for the original Surface Duo, meaning Android 12L is the last version of the OS it will ever officially receive.
Surface Duo only ever got two major OS updates, one shy of the average three that most high-end flagship Android devices get these days.
Microsoft hasn’t been working on new features or bug fixes for Surface Duo in months anyway, so it’s not like current Surface Duo users are going to be missing out on much outside of security patches.
Plus, with support for third-party ROMs, enthusiasts can install a custom version of Android 13/14 on their devices.
The original article contains 254 words, the summary contains 163 words. Saved 36%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!
Linux time boiz!
Yeah lemme go buy that fire ass Linux phone thats a pocketable, foldable tablet with split displays, a pen with haptic feedback and rigid glass screens for stylus use and a great camera and has support for my office products and also isn’t totally busted half the time. Where is it? Because I legit would buy the fuck out of it
That’s Android. You want an Android. Buy a Samsung and flash whatever rom you want onto it.
Not the person you’re responding too, but… Unfortunately the Samsung is quite expensive and the screen is waay to vulnerable for me. A single foldable screen is definitely preferable, but personally not at the cost of having a screen that you can scratch with your nails.
If Samsung made a phone with two screens with last year’s flagship specs at a decent price I’d be all over it.
It’s really sad how dirty most companies seem to be doing the consumers when you’ve got Apple still pushing support for 6 year old phones. At least one company sets the standard. Now, can we get a Linux device that is a clone of the Surface Duo and has security updates for 5 years? Please?
Yeah, great standard setting by apple, supporting their users by intentionally slowing down their phones to encourage them to buy new ones.
Is the standard to attract class action lawsuits?
I lost hope for Microsoft after the RT.
I’m no expert but I imagine that with a device like this, which will no doubt be popular amongst techie-types, there’ll be a custom ROM out for it soon enough
There’s a very grassroots Windows 10 ARM hack for the SD1, actually. It’s quirky, and lacks a LOAD of the driver blob that comes in a normal x64 install of Windows on AMD or Intel, but it can make outbound calls and run simple WinonARM apps.
Pathetic. Even more pathetic that Microsoft doesn’t even make its own mobile OS anymore.
they had a chance but decided to self sabotage . they have no chance now that they are using android. who would pick them over the real version?
The “real version”? There is no “real version” of Android. I wouldn’t pick Microsoft specifically because they don’t have a track record of supporting their phones.
By the way: I’m running Arch on my surface 3 and I’m loving it .
