14 DAY TRIAL // If you’ve been living under a rock for the past decade or so, here’s something you didn’t expect to hear about Microsoft.
The software giant is now an Android device manufacturer, and in fact, the company’s very own device running Google’s mobile operating system is already at its second generation.
Called Microsoft Surface Duo, this device comes with a dual-screen form factor, therefore allowing the use in multiple modes, including phone and tablet.
And given the second-generation Duo is already on the market, it makes sense for Microsoft to already work on the next model. Naturally, many people expected the software giant to come up with third-generation Surface Duo in 2022, but as it turns out, this won’t be the case.
No Surface Duo refresh in 2022
According to a report from WindowsCentral, Microsoft will not release a new Surface Duo next year, which means the third generation is only expected in 2023.
While the plans could obviously change, it looks like Microsoft just wants to use 2022 for an increased focus on the software side of the project. In other words, Microsoft wants to further polish the experience with Android on its devices rather than introduce a new device.
This makes sense for a wide variety of reasons, but the most important is that the Surface Duo, both the original model and the second generation, are currently running old versions of Android.
As weird as this may sound, the original Surface Duo, which is obviously a high-end device that came with a hefty price tag, is still on Android 10, with the update to Android 11 projected to land next year. The Surface Duo 2 is running Android 11, even though Android 12 is already available, and once again, the update to the new OS could go live at some point in 2022.