The Surface Duo is Microsoft’s first Android smartphone, in a form much like the axed Surface Neo device. Microsoft previously planned to launch a Windows 10X dual-screen device but ended up cancelling the project and its operating system due to numerous issues, which is quite unfortunate.
The initial Surface Duo can now run Windows 11 ARM with an unofficial cracked installation and turn the device into a small dual-screen computer, but unfortunately, at the moment, the Surface Duo doesn’t run Windows 11 perfectly.
According to Windows Central, Microsoft is preparing to upgrade its Android smartphones to Android 12L and will release an update in the next few weeks.
With the Surface Duo’s life cycle getting shorter and the model now less than a quarter of its original price, I’m sure there will be plenty of users trying it out.
Windows Central has also revealed a few things about the upcoming update. Android 12L for the first and second-generation Surface Duo is said to introduce some design cues from Windows 11, such as an interaction design inspired by the Win11 Fluent design, which you may see in the Notification Centre, Activity Feed and more.
Microsoft has previously stuck to Google’s design guidelines, with the Surface system more or less resembling the existing Android. Now it seems that the company wants to move away from that model and focus on making the Surface Duo smartphone an “extension of the Windows PC” or “your phone”.
Of course, this idea would require a Windows 11-like design overhaul, including a Windows 11-like Quick Settings button, icons in Settings, menus and more. Users can allegedly trigger Win11-like menus via the buttons on the Surface Slim Pen 2.
Another Windows 11-inspired feature is the familiar system accent colour, where you can choose a theme colour from the wallpaper and apply it to different parts of the user interface.
Windows Central also claims that Microsoft is also working on a “Duo Connect” mode, a spiritual successor to the long-dead Continuum on Windows 10 Mobile.
Duo Connect is described as allowing enterprise customers to connect their smartphones to a larger display and use it with Windows 365 services. It is unclear whether Duo Connect will be part of Android 12L or if it will appear in a future update.
As it stands, Android 12L will be available for both the first and second-generation Surface Duo, and it is expected to push out an update later this month or early in November.
The Surface Duo can currently run Windows 11 (unofficially) and its newer sibling has done so with the help of the recently released UEFI.
