The Surface Duo received mixed reviews, with critics praising its design and battery life, but mixed on its multitasking features, software quality, and believing that its hardware (including its RAM, camera, and wireless network support) was outdated and underpowered for its class.

Microsoft stated that it would contribute the associated APIs for these features to the upstream Android Open Source Project (AOSP), so that this functionality could be leveraged by other dual-screen and foldable smartphones.

Microsoft stated that the update would include visual elements of Windows 11 and Fluent Design System.

In conclusion, it was felt that "there are more than a few glimmers of vision and potential in the Surface Duo", but that "the execution is bad in places, and a lot of people aren’t going to get what Microsoft is going for.

"[5] Mary Jo Foley of ZDNet described the Duo's hardware as "premium and drool-worthy", and found it to be the first Surface-branded device that was able to fulfill Microsoft's promise of "all-day" battery life, but felt that its multitasking systems were not intuitive (drawing comparisons to Windows 8, which "assume[d] users can easily figure out how to do basic things and errs on the side of providing too little information").

[6] IFixit gave the Surface Duo a repairability score of 2/10, citing that although its displays and black glass "can be replaced without disassembling any other components", its construction contained extensive use of adhesive, and that its USB port was soldered directly to its mainboard.