You never do it again. The Android 11 update for the first Surface Duo should be rolling out by the end of the year. Microsoft has now missed that date. Although the update should appear as early as January, first-gen users are rightly pissed off and it clearly shows once again that the biggest problem with the Surface Duo is Microsoft itself. From the slow delivery of updates to essentially non-existent connectivity, even including a missing roadmap, it’s clear that Microsoft stands its own way.
interesting: Surface Duo 2: December major update brings new functionality
Surface Duo failed due to Microsoft’s lack of will
The first duo appeared with a number of bugs, some serious. Although Microsoft was able to fix some of these bugs with the first updates, the device is still in poor condition and only received security updates for six months. So, hopes remain on Android 11, which has already shown on Duo 2 that it can fix the most important bugs. But time has passed and there is no longer a place to see the update. At first it was said that the update was expected in the summer. But nothing happened. In the fall, Microsoft confirmed to colleagues from the USA that the update will be rolled out by the end of the year. But as we now know, they were once again unable to keep this appointment.
The good news, the update is ready. Internally, Microsoft has been testing the latest version of Android 11 for the first Surface Duo for a long time. This has already been submitted to Google for final certification, but that no longer expires before the end of the year. So is Google responsible for this misery? no they are not.
It is up to Microsoft to make sure that the final version reaches Google in time and is still available to users despite the holidays and Christmas. If this cannot be guaranteed, it must be clearly communicated. Here we come to the second problem. Totally disastrous communication from Microsoft regarding the Surface Duo. There is no roadmap for upcoming updates, no contacts for bugs and issues, and no data from Microsoft regarding Android 11 or Android 12. Information is only available unofficially about colleagues from the USA who maintain contacts with Microsoft employees. this is unacceptable.
Yes, Microsoft only provided a small team to develop the Surface Duo and Android. Updates in the style of Samsung and Apple are simply not possible. But transparency and a certain perspective can certainly be requested from users of such an expensive device. Microsoft definitely has to get better here, because otherwise, a really great idea and ingenious form factor with potential would be wasted by Redmond’s lack of will. Especially after the infamous end of Windows Mobile, Microsoft no longer has a leap of faith left. You have to hand in or your Surface mobile experience will end sooner than expected.
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