Windows 10 smartphones have suffered at the hands of the growing popularity of Android devices and the numerous apps it offers, and although CEO Satya Nadella hinted at a new smartphone earlier this year, a senior executive at the company has confirmed that there is no future for smartphones running Windows 10.
Joe Belfiore, Corporate Vice President at Microsoft, has confirmed that Windows 10 for mobile won't be getting any new features, though the company will continue to support the platform for bug fixes and security updates.
Nearing the end of the noughties, Microsoft's Windows phones were one of the major rivals to iPhone and then emerging Android phones but they saw a drastic downfall over the years.
The last of Microsoft's phones powered by Windows were the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL, and since their launch, the company had stopped developing any new Windows-powered smartphones as it was still figuring out how to restructure their mobile division in face of the loss incurred due to Android's exponentially growing popularity.
He also mentioned that the company isn't planning on releasing any new hardware running on the Windows 10 mobile platform.
This marks the end of Windows Mobile.
Speaking about why Windows 10 Mobile is no longer 'the focus' for the company, Belfiore stated that the lack of options to incentivize developers to create apps for the platform — in face of declining user base — led to this decision.
Microsoft's focus on smartphones running Windows 10 has faced a steady decline in the five years, mainly due to dwindling sales and customer base as well as growth in their Cloud business — culminating in a shift of focus where the profits lie.
Last month, it was revealed that even Microsoft's co-founder Bill Gates doesn't use a Windows smartphone anymore. And no, he doesn't use an iPhone too.
Bill Gates seems to have moved on from the downfall of Windows phone to the more popular choice globally — Android — but didn't reveal exactly which device he is using currently.
Source: Microsoft Confirms the End of Road for Windows Mobile
No comments:
Post a Comment