Surface Duo crashes the party as Doctor Who celebrates 60th birthday

The BBC is celebrating the 60th anniversary of its long-running science fiction series, Doctor Who, by popping a Surface Duo into the hands of actor David Tennant's latest take on the humanoid alien.

Or maybe it's a Surface Duo 2, judging by the camera bulge in the publicity shots spied by the X (formerly Twitter) account @WhovianLife.

We imagine the device was thrust into the hands of the Doctor by another performer. The series has, after all, made much of "Psychic paper" – blank paper that, when shown to others, shows what the person expects to see – so we're not sure how much utility the character would get from a foldable.

Or perhaps the intention is to deliver some drama in the form of an unexpected update, just as there is a corridor to run down or a latex-clad foe to battle. Then again, this is a Surface smartphone, and substantial updates are few and far between. The Duo is dead, and the Duo 2 remains a stranger to Android 13, let alone Android 14.

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While the Doctor is kicking off their fourteenth incarnation – just like Android itself – it is looking increasingly unlikely that the Duo will make it past version two unless a magical regeneration somehow turns it into something that customers actually want. However, having seen Jodie Whittaker turn into David Tennant, transforming that Microsoft logo into something more suited to a Samsung or Apple device is perhaps not so outlandish after all.

And smartphone fans can be just as tribal about their favorite brand as Doctor Who obsessives are about whoever is writing scripts or playing the fictional space alien.

Although it is probably too late for an appearance in a cult BBC science fiction show to save Microsoft's phone from commercial realities, we're delighted to see it make an appearance in a series famed – in previous incarnations – for its dubious special effects and famously wobbly sets.

The Surface Duo 2 should, therefore, fit right in. ®