The stupid reason why Microsoft is delaying the Surface Duo international release

Currently, Microsoft is only planning to sell the Surface Duo in USA, with the device being released on the 10th September, only 6 days from now.

AndroidCentral, however, revealed that Microsoft does have plans for an international release, but that this will have to wait at least to next year.

Specifically, AndroidCentral’s sources have revealed that the device may only become available internationally around Q2 2021, ie around 6 months after its US release.

AndroidCentral says this is so Microsoft can gauge the reception of the experimental device, with Microsoft officially saying they are taking “a measured and phased approach to availability to meet customer demand.”

Microsoft apparently wants to avoid a Surface RT debacle, where the company ended up producing more devices than it could sell.

There is, of course, one major issue with that strategy – the Surface Duo is not only under-specced, but its specs are also dated, with a Snapdragon 855 processor for example. The device will be an even harder sell in 2021, making its commercial failure a self-fulfilling prophecy.

The Surface Duo is already certified for Canada, EU, and Japanese markets, and AndroidCentral says BT/EE has already agreed to sell the device in UK.

It would be a much better strategy to make the handset available in small quantities worldwide and build hype, rather than a massive release in a single market that will likely underperform.

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