There’s never a right time to say goodbye, but Windows Phone’s death has been slow and painful. And today the head of Microsoft’s Windows division finally admitted that we shouldn’t expect anything more when it comes to Windows Phone.
While the few Windows Phone fans had hoped Microsoft would update the platform with new features, it’s now clear the operating system has been placed into servicing mode, with just bug fixes and security updates for existing users.
On Twitter, Microsoft’s corporate vice president for Windows Joe Belfiore stated that the company is no longer actively developing new features or hardware for the platform and that he has even switched over to an Android phone for his personal mobile needs.
For anyone who has followed Windows Mobile for any length of time, it should come as no surprise that Microsoft’s Windows Phone platform has been “dead” for more than a year, but the company has never officially admitted it before. One of the main reasons for this shift in strategy is Microsoft’s incapability to lure app developers over to Windows Mobile, which led to a barren mobile ecosystem that’s light years behind Android and iOS.
Windows Phone started off life as a promising alternative to Android and iOS six years ago. Microsoft positioned its range of Windows Phone 7 handsets as the true third mobile ecosystem.
Microsoft’s new strategy is to harbour all of its big apps and services to Android and iOS. All of the major Office apps are already available on both Google’s and Apple’s platforms, and just last week, Microsoft released an Android version of its Edge web browser along with the newly branded Microsoft launcher (formerly Arrow Launcher). The company has dozens of apps on iOS and Android, including Microsoft Office, Outlook, Swiftkey, Skype and more.
For people or businesses still using Windows Mobile 10, Belfiore said Microsoft will continue to support those customers with regular bug fixes and security updates. But don’t expect anything more than that.
