Microsoft’s Surface Duo 2 Just Received its Last Software Update

Microsoft’s Surface Duo 2 has received its last security update this week (via Windows Central), with October 21, 2024 marking the end of support for the dual-screen device. Overall, the Surface Duo 2 received just three years of software updates since its launch in October 2021, which is definitely not great for a device that launched with a $1,499 price tag.

The Surface Duo family marked Microsoft’s comeback to the smartphone market following the failure of Windows Phone and Windows 10 Mobile. The company opted for an Android-based dual-screen form factor, and the Surface Duo 2 fixed some of the shortcomings of the original model, including a lackluster single front-facing camera.

Even though the Surface Duo and Surface Duo 2 featured the premium design the Surface brand is known for, the software experience was quite sub-par. For the hardware to really shine, Microsoft needed developers to optimize their apps for the device, and it never really happened. Moreover, the Surface Duo family launched with outdated versions of Android, and the Surface Duo 2 and its predecessor remained stuck on Android 12L after receiving the update in October 2022.

Last year, Bowden reported that Microsoft had deprioritized Surface Duo updates, and with no new models in sight and the departure of Surface inventor Panos Panay, it was pretty clear that Microsoft had given up on the Surface Duo family.

Do you ever see Microsoft coming back to the smartphone market at some point, or do you think the company was right to move on? Sound off in the comments below.