What it’s good to know
- Microsoft has pulled the plug on the first-generation Floor Duo, stating on its assist web page that it’s going to not ship new working system updates or safety patches for the machine.
- Android 12L, which arrived for the dual-screen smartphone late final 12 months, 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 can be put out to pasture after selecting up simply two main Android OS updates since launch.
Microsoft unceremoniously introduced on a assist web page that it ditched software program assist for the three-year-old smartphone on September 10, as noticed by Home windows Central. Because of this, the first-generation Floor Duo can be left to fend for itself, which implies it is going to be a sitting duck for safety dangers and annoying bugs.
This comes as no shock on condition that Microsoft beforehand introduced that it could solely launch software program updates to the machine for 3 years after launch. The Floor Duo final acquired a serious replace in October of final 12 months, 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 weak 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 cellphone with two screens that could possibly 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 assist for the Floor Duo, the corporate did not actually ship. There have been only a few smaller-scale updates through the years, and the main replace to Android 11 was launched manner delayed. By the point it was rolled out, Android 12 was already out for different telephones.
This lack of software program assist is a serious letdown for Floor Duo homeowners, who paid a premium for a cellphone that was presupposed to be a productiveness powerhouse. In the meantime, the dearer Floor Duo 2 is about to chunk the mud on October 21, 2024.
