What you should know
- Microsoft has pulled the plug on the first-generation Floor Duo, stating on its assist web page that it’ll now not ship new working system updates or safety patches for the machine.
- Android 12L, which arrived for the dual-screen smartphone late final yr, was the final main Android OS replace for the Floor Duo.
- Floor Duo followers can nonetheless use their telephones with none issues for now.
The unique Floor Duo will probably be put out to pasture after selecting up simply two main Android OS updates since launch.
Microsoft unceremoniously introduced on a support page that it ditched software program assist for the three-year-old smartphone on September 10, as noticed by Windows Central. Consequently, the first-generation Surface Duo will probably be left to fend for itself, which suggests it will likely be a sitting duck for safety dangers and annoying bugs.
This comes as no shock provided that Microsoft beforehand introduced that it could solely launch software program updates to the machine for 3 years after launch. The Floor Duo final acquired a serious replace in October of final yr, when it was treated to Android 12L, a particular model of Android for foldable phones and tablets.
Nonetheless, the Floor Duo will nonetheless work as it’s, but it surely will not get any new options or bug fixes from Microsoft. Apps will nonetheless be up to date by their builders, however the Floor Duo could also be extra susceptible to safety dangers with out the most recent safety patches.
Microsoft launched the Floor Duo in 2020 for a whopping $1,400. It was a singular cellphone with two screens that may very well be folded collectively. The corporate marketed it as a productiveness machine the place you could possibly run two apps side-by-side for multitasking.
Whereas the software program big promised to offer three years of assist for the Floor Duo, the corporate did not actually ship. There have been only a few smaller-scale updates over time, and the foremost replace to Android 11 was launched method not on time. By the point it was rolled out, Android 12 was already out for different telephones.
This lack of software program assist is a serious letdown for Floor Duo house owners, who paid a premium for a cellphone that was imagined to be a productiveness powerhouse. In the meantime, the costlier Floor Duo 2 is ready to chew the mud on October 21, 2024.