Microsoft may have stopped production of the Surface Duo 2 dual-screen smartphone. But when asked to comment on the situation with the gadget, Microsoft's spokesperson said that they had nothing to share.
Sources familiar with Microsoft's plans say that the company has stopped production of the Surface Duo 2. However, this should not be surprising, since the smartphone entered the market about two years ago, and by now it has already become outdated. But the cessation of production does not mean the end of support for the device.
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It is known that Surface Duo 2 owners will continue to receive monthly security updates until October 2024. At the same time, it is not known whether Microsoft plans to release a new version of Android for its smartphone.
Reportedly, Microsoft has transferred several Surface Duo OS devs to another project, Teams Rooms on Android. At the time, Microsoft didn't have any plans to release Android 13 for the Surface Duo. Of course, plans can change at any time, but currently there is no sign of that.
The Surface Duo OS team has been developing several new features for the Surface Duo that should be available in Android 12L-based firmware. For example, a new Windows 365-based Continuum mode was created that would allow you to connect to a cloud computer when using the Surface Duo in conjunction with an external display.
The team also wanted to introduce AI gaze correction technology to the Camera app and implement the ability to quickly take notes on the lock screen using handwriting. However, development of these features stopped a few months ago.
The situation is in many ways reminds of the last years of Windows 10 Mobile, when the product still existed and was "supported", but there was no active development. Maybe Surface team is really working on a full-fledged single-screen foldable smartphone. But if it ever enters the market, it is unlikely that it will be called the Surface Duo.
In the fall of 2020, iFixit experts rated Surface Duo maintainability at 2 points out of 10. Disassembling the device showed that the smartphone was abundantly filled with glue inside, detaching its screens was fraught with damage to cables, and disconnecting the battery is quite difficult.
Surface Duo owners have complained about issues with dropping calls, weak cellular signal, and low-quality case components.
Now, Reddit users are reporting that Microsoft has started refunding Surface Duo owners who tried to exchange the device under warranty. The fact is that in most regions of the world stocks of smartphones have run out. It is easier for the company to return the money than to fix the device.
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