Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Microsoft has almost completed development of a major firmware update for the Surface Duo based on Android 12L. Users are expected to start receiving the new firmware in the coming weeks.
According to Windows Central, Android 12L for Surface Duo will receive an updated user interface with Fluent Design elements, making the system more consistent with the style of Windows 11. In particular, there should be blur effects in different parts of the OS, smooth animations when using gestures to open and close applications, and the design of buttons, switches and notifications will also change.
It looks like Microsoft intends to completely revamp the system design for the Surface Duo in the future, so that the smartphone feels like a companion device to Windows, but the user interface remains familiar and familiar.
Windows Central editor Zack Bowden says that the Quick Settings area in the notification shade on the Surface Duo will resemble the Quick Actions menu from Windows 11. The Settings app will also use Windows 11-style icons to represent categories. There will be a new pen menu that will appear when you press the button on the Surface Slim Pen 2. This menu will be fully customizable so you can add shortcuts to any installed applications. Also in Android 12L for Surface Duo, you can choose a system accent color based on the dominant color on your desktop wallpaper.
For enterprise customers, a new feature called “Duo Connect” will be added. It will ensure continuous operation when connected to an external display using the Windows 365 cloud service. It is not yet known whether this feature will be available immediately after the release of the new firmware version, or whether it will be added in one of the following updates.
As for the Microsoft Launcher, there will be no significant changes in it. The design will be brought into line with Android 12L, but nothing more. By the way, the taskbar that is part of Android 12L and available on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 will not work on the Surface Duo.
The Android 12L-based firmware for the Surface Duo 1 and Surface Duo 2 is currently in the final stages of testing. Users are expected to start receiving the update in late October or early November if no major bugs are found.
