What it is advisable know
- Microsoft has pulled the plug on the first-generation Floor Duo, stating on its help web page that it’ll now not ship new working system updates or safety patches for the machine.
- Android 12L, which arrived for the dual-screen smartphone late final yr, was the final main Android OS replace for the Floor Duo.
- Floor Duo followers can nonetheless use their telephones with none issues for now.
The unique Floor Duo will likely be put out to pasture after choosing up simply two main Android OS updates since launch.
Microsoft unceremoniously introduced on a help web page that it ditched software program help for the three-year-old smartphone on September 10, as noticed by Home windows Central. Consequently, the first-generation Floor Duo will likely be left to fend for itself, which implies it will likely be a sitting duck for safety dangers and annoying bugs.
This comes as no shock on condition that Microsoft beforehand introduced that it will solely launch software program updates to the machine for 3 years after launch. The Floor Duo final obtained a significant replace in October of final yr, when it was handled to Android 12L, a particular model of Android for foldable telephones and tablets.
Nonetheless, the Floor Duo will nonetheless work as it’s, however it will not get any new options or bug fixes from Microsoft. Apps will nonetheless be up to date by their builders, however the Floor Duo could also be extra susceptible to safety dangers with out the newest safety patches.
Microsoft launched the Floor Duo in 2020 for a whopping $1,400. It was a novel telephone with two screens that might be folded collectively. The corporate marketed it as a productiveness machine the place you would run two apps side-by-side for multitasking.
Whereas the software program big promised to offer three years of help for the Floor Duo, the corporate did not actually ship. There have been only a few smaller-scale updates over time, and the key replace to Android 11 was launched method delayed. By the point it was rolled out, Android 12 was already out for different telephones.
This lack of software program help is a significant letdown for Floor Duo house owners, who paid a premium for a telephone that was purported to be a productiveness powerhouse. In the meantime, the dearer Floor Duo 2 is about to chunk the mud on October 21, 2024.
