Enlarge / The Surface Duo 2 running Android 12L. (credit: Microsoft)
Microsoft is still struggling to learn what exactly it takes to be a successful Android OEM. The company's first self-branded Android phones, the dual-screened Surface Duo and Surface Duo 2, have both tried to resurrect Microsoft's mobile ambitions after the death of Windows Phone. They leave a lot to be desired, though, and the first version went through some embarrassing fire sales. An ongoing knock against the devices has also been Microsoft's very slow OS updates. Unlike say, Windows and Windows Update, Google's expensive and labor-intensive Android update process puts the responsibility for updates on the hardware seller, and a big part of being a good Android OEM is how quickly you can navigate this complicated process. Microsoft is proving to not be good at this.
This week Microsoft announced the Surface Duo and Surface Duo 2 are finally getting Android 12L, an OS update that came out in March. That puts that company at a more than seven-month update time, which is worst-in-class for a flagship device, especially for one costing the $1,499 Microsoft is charging for the Duo 2. The company took an incredible 14 months to ship Android 11 to the Surface Duo, so at least it's improving!
New for Android 12L: Click pen, get pen menu. (credit: Microsoft)
Android 12L features a bunch of changes aimed at big-screen tablet devices, but the awkward inbetweener Surface Duo seems to settle on the phone interface. The dual-pane notification panel isn't here, nor is the (ironically very Windows 11-like) task bar at the bottom of the screen.
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Enlarge / The Surface Duo 2 running Android 12L. (credit: Microsoft)
Microsoft is still struggling to learn what exactly it takes to be a successful Android OEM. The company's first self-branded Android phones, the dual-screened Surface Duo and Surface Duo 2, have both tried to resurrect Microsoft's mobile ambitions after the death of Windows Phone. They leave a lot to be desired, though, and the first version went through some embarrassing fire sales. An ongoing knock against the devices has also been Microsoft's very slow OS updates. Unlike say, Windows and Windows Update, Google's expensive and labor-intensive Android update process puts the responsibility for updates on the hardware seller, and a big part of being a good Android OEM is how quickly you can navigate this complicated process. Microsoft is proving to not be good at this.
This week Microsoft announced the Surface Duo and Surface Duo 2 are finally getting Android 12L, an OS update that came out in March. That puts that company at a more than seven-month update time, which is worst-in-class for a flagship device, especially for one costing the $1,499 Microsoft is charging for the Duo 2. The company took an incredible 14 months to ship Android 11 to the Surface Duo, so at least it's improving!
New for Android 12L: Click pen, get pen menu. (credit: Microsoft)
Android 12L features a bunch of changes aimed at big-screen tablet devices, but the awkward inbetweener Surface Duo seems to settle on the phone interface. The dual-pane notification panel isn't here, nor is the (ironically very Windows 11-like) task bar at the bottom of the screen.
Read 1 remaining paragraphs | Comments
October 27, 2022 at 01:50AM
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