Happy 3rd Birthday to OG Surface Duo; Microsoft drops all software support

When Microsoft released the Surface Duo three years ago on this date, it looked like the beginning of a successful new smartphone line for Microsoft. The dual-screen phone had some flaws to be sure, including the use of a dated chipset and a single camera that did double work as a rear camera and a front-facing selfie snapper. It also did not support 5G but did come with a $1,399 price tag. The phone had two 5.6-inch screens that together created an 8.1-inch display when the device was fully opened.

Today, on its third birthday, Microsoft officially dropped software support for the original Surface Duo according to Windows Central. The phone was launched with Android 10 and the last software update it received was the Android 12L update that was developed for large-screened and foldable devices. The phone received only two major system updates while the majority of pricey flagship Android phones get at least three.

Those with the OG Surface Duo can still use their phone and even update apps. But they will no longer receive Android and security updates which means that the device could be open to malware attacks and bug fixes won't be exterminated by an update.

The Surface Duo 2, which was released about a year after the OG model, launched with Android 11, and its three years of support will come to an end on October 21, 2024. So far, the Surface Duo 2 has received one major Android update (to Android 12L) which took place last October at the same time that the first-generation model was updated to the same build. The sequel needs one more update to match the number received by the OG Surface Duo.

Production on the Surface Duo 2 stopped earlier this year and there are no plans to release a Surface Duo 3. At the beginning of this year, there was talk that Microsoft would build a foldable phone as opposed to a dual-screen phone, but the whispers have seemed to stop.

The Surface Duo 2 had slightly larger dual 5.8-inch AMOLED screens which became an 8.3-inch panel when both were open. It launched with a current high-end chipset (the Snapdragon 888) and a triple camera array on the back (12MP primary camera, 12MP telephoto camera, and 16MP ultra-wide camera). There is also a 12MP front-facing camera on one of the screens, and the phone had 5G support.