- Windows Central recently reported that Surface Duo 2 availability was depleted at Best Buy and Microsoft.com
- Best Buy took down Surface Duo 2 kiosks, and potential customers cannot order a device
- Microsoft has responded, remarking that supply constraints are the leading cause, and Surface Duo 2 is not being discontinued
Windows Central recently detailed how Microsoft’s Surface Duo 2, on its first anniversary, is almost nowhere to be found. Local Best Buy stores reported that specialized Surface Duo 2 kiosks were coming down, inventory was depleted, and even Microsoft.com had no stock to order.
Our speculation suggested that Microsoft may pull back on Surface Duo 2 until Android 12L drops in the coming weeks. However, the possibility that production was halted due to a lack of sales could not be ruled out.
Now, Microsoft has responded to Windows Central about the status of Surface Duo 2, and it appears to be good news:
“We are experiencing supply constraints that are impacting stock of Surface Duo 2 units. The product is not being discontinued. We continue to update and to innovate on this form factor and are excited by customer interest.”
As Senior Reporter Zac Bowden and I discussed on a recent episode of the Windows Central Podcast, supply constraints could also be an explanation. After all, most of the components in Surface Duo 2 are custom, including the displays themselves, the hinges, and the board design, requiring specialized production techniques that only Microsoft uses.
That theory turned out to be correct.
More interestingly, Microsoft doubled down on the statement by emphatically stating that Surface Duo 2 is not discontinued. The company goes further by noting it will continue to “update and innovate on this form factor,” suggesting that Surface Duo and Surface Duo 2 receive more significant updates, and a third version is also very likely.
Recent sourcing by Zac Bowden has claimed that Microsoft is currently deciding whether to go with another dual-screen design or lean into a single-screen foldable akin to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 4, but likely with a different aspect ratio and thinner design.
We’ve also heard that the new Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 has shaken the industry and likely impressed the Surface team. Not only does Mix Fold 2 fold without a gap, but it is a hair thinner (0.1mm) than Surface Duo 2 while also packing a substantial 4,500mAh battery.
When Surface Duo 2 will return to store shelves is up in the air, but we’ll continue to follow this story and update accordingly.
Microsoft is purportedly in the final stages of validating Android 12L for release for Surface Duo and Surface Duo 2. That update should bring some of the first UI customizations that more closely match the design of Windows 11, along with better OS and support for dual-screen apps.
Microsoft could have more to say about the Android 12L update if it holds its annual Surface event, typically in late September or October.
