That’s the common theme I seem to be seeing with regards to Surface Duo reviews. It’s flawed, and they are all looking forward to the second gen.
This feels like a safe answer. No one is going to get fired or castigated for saying “I am looking forward to the next revision”, nor will they lose early access to future Microsoft products, because it’s clear how flawed the first gen is, and there is only so much you can try to hype up without losing all your credibility.
People are basically grading Microsoft on a curve, as they are wont to do with all Apple competitors.
Not really. That's also what happens with the first gens of iPhone, iPad, MacBook Air. In fact, they're giving Apple quite some slack, considering they release the same products 5 times in a row or more.