Late to its promise in the middle of Android 12 upgrade season
Oh, the Surface Duo. Microsoft’s first attempt at making an Android phone had a few issues, but it was nonetheless an exciting dual-screen concept with big multitasking promises. Bugs and high price tag aside, one specific woe had buyers on edge for a good chunk of last year: The lack of an Android 11 update. Despite the fact that Android 12 was released in 2021, and the Surface Duo 2 launched with Android 11, users of the original model don’t have the new (now old) software yet. After missing its first promise last year and falling back on the ol’ reliable “coming weeks,” Android 12 is finally starting to land on the original Microsoft Surface Duo.
The update (version number 2021.1027.156) is currently rolling out to unlocked Surface Duo users in North America and Europe, while the AT&T version is pending carrier validation and will roll out at a later date. The update includes Android 11 and the latest January 2022 security patch, as well as a bunch of improvements and customizations for things like multitasking, folding actions, and features for Microsoft’s built-in apps.
The full changelog is just below:
- Upgrades the Android operating system to Android 11. For more information about Android 11, see Android 11.
- Addresses scenarios outlined in the Android Security Bulletin—January 2022.
- New Surface Duo features
- Enabled launching of OneNote when clicking the top button on Surface Slim Pen 2. It requires Surface Slim Pen 2 to be paired with Surface Duo.
- Enabled in Surface Duo features, in Settings, to choose preference for answering phone calls when folded.
- Enabled in Surface Duo features, in Settings, to choose specific apps to automatically span across both screens when you open them.
- Optimized Quick Settings and notification width for portrait and landscape orientations.
- Adjust media volume directly from Quick Settings in any device mode.
- Use thumb mode in Microsoft SwiftKey now with all device modes and application states.
- Updated app drawer and folder design with improved drag-and-drop support.
- Refreshed Microsoft feed design with updated cards and new Microsoft Start widgets for News and Weather.
- Photos by OneDrive: New dual-screen enhanced experience for viewing and editing photos in the OneDrive app.
- Xbox Game Pass: Discovery and play games from the cloud with an on-screen controller. Some devices, accessories, and software sold separately. Additional fees and/or subscriptions required for some apps and features.
- Send feedback to Microsoft by opening Settings, then tap About, then tap Give feedback to Microsoft.
Some of us had hoped that Microsoft would do right by its customers and the Duo, keeping its phones better updated than other hardware-first Android companies might. After all, Microsoft is literally a software company; its best-known product is Windows. And, at $1,400, the Duo was also very expensive (a price that it never justified in our eyes, given its many issues and rampant software bugs). Sadly, neither price nor its own software history seems to have encouraged Microsoft to be timely about updates.
The Microsoft Duo’s Android 11 update is currently rolling out over-the-air, and if you don’t see it on your phone yet, be on the lookout over the next few weeks.
Now, the wait begins for Android 12/12L. Oof.
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