Just a couple of days after the launch, Surface Duo 2 received its first firmware update. Unlike the original Surface Duo, which has been receiving only Android security patches for several months in a row, the first update for Surface Duo 2 contains device-specific improvements and bug fixes.
Despite using much improved and more powerful hardware, Surface Duo 2 has one thing in common with its predecessor: buggy software. Most reviewers praise Surface Duo 2 for its refreshed hardware but overall claim that the software underneath that hardware is mediocre at best with too many bugs to fix. Fortunately, Microsoft seems to be ready to solve that problem. The October 2021 Update for Surface Duo 2 is the first step.
What is new in the October 2021 firmware update for Surface Duo 2
Microsoft does not provide an in-depth changelog for the first update for Surface Duo 2. Instead, Microsoft says the new firmware makes the quirky dual-screen smartphone more stable. The changelog contains only one entry:
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2021.827.34. This update improves device stability.
To download and install the October 2021 firmware update, you need at least 228MB of free space on your shiny new Surface Duo 2. That means the update contains more than just mere "security patches." Considering that Microsoft offers Surface Duo 2 in 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB, you should not have problems with getting the patch. Note that you cannot roll back firmware updates for Windows and Android-based Surface devices.
The original Surface Duo recently received the October 2021 update. Unlike its sibling, that firmware contains only Android security patches and weighs only 50MB. Still, there is hope to get better updates from Microsoft for the first-gen Surface Duo. The company promises to update its Android smartphones for three years, and the upgrade from the outdated Android 10 to Android 11 should arrive "before the end of the year." Surface Duo 2, on the other hand, runs Android 11 out-of-box, and Microsoft does not comment on when it plans to offer Android 12.
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