Dual-screened Surface Duo 2 is out of stock at Microsoft, running low at Best Buy

Recently there have been signs that something is up with the dual-screen Surface Duo 2. At Best Buy, the big box retailer's inventory of the device was shrinking. At some locations, the Surface Duo 2 kiosk, which advertised the device and allowed those in the store to have a hands-on experience with it, had disappeared. And Microsoft.com also ran out of units to sell to both consumers and businesses.

When you go to the Microsoft.com website and go to the Surface Duo 2 page, you'll notice that the Configure now button is off-limits to you. On the Surface Duo 2 for Business listing, you'll see the words Out of stock. Typically, you'd see Microsoft do this just before the introduction of the phone's next iteration. However, there has been speculation that Microsoft will bypass the introduction of a Surface Duo 3 this year and focus instead on software improvements including the release of Android 12L for the device.

Android 12L is a version of Android 12 made specifically for large-screened devices. This iteration of Android will be disseminated to both the original version of the Surface Duo and the Surface Duo 2. The update to Android 12L could be pushed out by Microsoft as soon as next month.

Another rumor making the rounds is that Microsoft is considering turning the Surface Duo form factor into a foldable that opens to reveal a large tablet-sized display like the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and the Xiaomi Mix Fold 2. Whatever Microsoft decides to do with the Surface Duo 3, the model isn't expected to see the light of day until next year.

The Surface Duo 2 features two 5.8-inch AMOLED displays each with a 1344 x 1892 resolution, a 90Hz refresh rate, and protection from Gorilla Glass Victus. While there is the hinge in the middle of the two displays, when opened the user has real estate to use that is equivalent to an 8.3-inch AMOLED display carrying a 1892 x 2688 resolution. Under the hood is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G chipset with 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB of storage.

The camera array includes a 12MP Wide camera, 12MP Telephoto camera with 2x optical zoom, and a 16MP Ultra-wide camera with a 110-degree diagonal field-of-view. The device also comes equipped with a 12MP front-facing selfie snapper. Keeping the lights on is a 4449mAh (typical) dual battery. The Surface Duo 2 pricing started at $999, but as we said, it is very hard to find one right now. Check out the local Best Buy store near you if you are interested in the device.