The Microsoft Surface Duo will get an update to Android 11 sometime in the middle of 2021, according to reports from German outlet Dr Windows.
The news has since been corroborated by Windows Central, and coincides with the imminent release of the dual-screen phone in the UK, Canada, Germany and France in February.
In a Surface Duo media briefing with Microsoft USA, representatives reportedly spoke of the OS update coming to devices “in summer” of 2021, meaning users can expect Android 11 to arrive on the Surface Duo anytime between June and August of this year.
The Surface Duo was originally released back in September 2020 in the US, when it was promised the device would receive regular software updates. Microsoft hasn’t been entirely forthcoming with that promise in the months since, but the news that Android 11 will be coming to the Surface Duo is welcome considering its imminent widespread availability.
A long time coming
Apparently, the reason behind the delay is an important one.
Microsoft and Google have allegedly teamed up to port all developments related to dual screen operation into the Android core – suggesting that many of the changes Microsoft has made to improve the dual displays of the Surface Duo will also make their way into Android’s code.
In theory, this will make the functionality available to other Android manufacturers, which is good news for the likes of LG and Asus but, it would seem, rather frustrating for Surface Duo owners who had hoped for a degree of exclusivity with their device.
In any case, a mid-year release date seems a tad excessive given Microsoft has been working on the update since June of last year – before the Surface Duo even became available in the US. The software giant even bought Movial, the company that was originally developing Android for the device. At least it’s on it’s way, we suppose.
Via GSMArena