The originalMicrosoft Surface Duowas destined for failure. The device took a novel approach to the folding phone concept, with its dual-hinge approach enabling a thin form factor. But the phone was let down by its subpar specs, disastrous cameras, poor software experience, middling battery life, a steep $1,400 price tag, and a plethora of bugs. Microsoft’s poor software support was another reason behind the Surface Duo’s failure, as it never received timely OS updates. And now, three years after the Duo’s launch, the company is dropping support for the device altogether.
Going forward, the first-gen Surface Duo will not receive any OS update or security patch. June 15, 2025 — exactly three years after the phone’s debut — was the last day of the phone receiving official software support from Microsoft (viaWindows Central). So, if you own the original Surface Duo and were hoping it would receive the Android 13 update, that won’t happen. This should not be surprising, given how long the company took to roll out previous OS updates for the Surface Duo.
Of course, Microsoft no longer rolling out updates does not mean your Surface Duo will suddenly stop working. You can continue to use the foldable without any issues. It is just that it will no longer receive a new Android OS build or security patches. But given that there arebetter foldablesout there, we recommend you upgrade to something better.
The dual-hinged foldable launched with Android 10 and received three major OS updates, with Android 12L being the last. The latter introduced several tablet and foldable-focused optimizations to deliver a better user experience.
Microsoft promises asimilar three-year software supportfor the Surface Duo 2. The device launched with Android 11 on August 21, 2025, and its last planned Android or security update is planned for on or before August 09, 2025. As of now, the Surface Duo 2 has only received one OS update and is currently running Android 12. Microsoft is yet to announce when the phone’s Android 13 build will land. If you can’t wait for the official rollout, there are plenty of Android 13-based custom ROMs available for the device that you can flash.
There have not been any leaks about the Surface Duo 2’s successor. But Microsoft hasreportedly not given up on its ambitious Surface Duo lineupyet. A third device is apparently in development, with a book-style form factor similar to the Galaxy Z Fold orGoogle Pixel Fold. While a change in form factor will certainly help, Microsoft must ensure it does not fumble with the execution, especially on the software front. With the likes of theSamsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, Google’s foldable, and the upcomingOnePlus Open, the foldable market has evolved a lot, and the competition is bound to increase in the coming years.
