Reputable Windows Central analyst Zac Bowden says the company’s decision is likely driven by Microsoft’s fear of a repeat of the Surface RT tablet when demand was far below preliminary estimates. Then the company released a number of devices that significantly exceeded demand, as a result of which they had to get rid of inventory, selling them at bargain prices. The analyst said that according to his sources, this time Microsoft plans to start shipping Surface Duo to foreign markets no earlier than 2021, after making sure that the product demonstrates the projected level of sales in the United States.

However, such delays are not at all good for Microsoft. Recall that the Surface Duo smartphone is based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor and lacks 5G and NFC support. If at the time of its presentation at the end of last year the Surface Duo filling looked attractive, now it is becoming obsolete every day.