Android

Android 12L Tested On Microsoft Surface Duo 2

Microsoft is working on getting Android 12L on the Surface Duo 2 clamshell. Now, as part of the presentation of new Surface devices, the group has given a first glimpse of what users can expect.

Zac Bowden has published the first images of the customized Android user interface from the Microsoft event. A number of details had previously been leaked that can now be confirmed – Android 12L will receive customization for the Surface Duo that is strongly reminiscent of the Fluent design language of Windows 11.

Android 12L version for Surface Duo as an update

According to Microsoft, there will be a major update for the Surface Duo later this year. It is planned that the Android 12L version of Surface Duo can be released by the end of the year. So far, however, these were only promises, today there was a first look at the changes and a working prototype.

The pictures clearly show how Microsoft has optically adapted Android 12L. It features an updated notification panel, new blur effects, and a redesigned Settings app with Windows 11-style icons.

Surface Duo 2: Microsoft promises endless possibilities

Microsoft has been working on the Android 12L version of the Surface Duo since March of this year. It’s the first time the company has applied its own design language to the Android operating system. This is also necessary because there has always been a lot of criticism of the user interface. These changes are clearly part of an effort to better represent the Surface Duo as an extension of Windows PCs, while still offering a familiar Android experience, according to Zac Bowden.

Microsoft has so far left open when the update will be released and whether there will perhaps only be a “beta version” this year. The question of whether the update will only be available for the newer Surface Duo 2 or also for the first-generation Surface Duo 1 also remains unanswered.