Microsoft is no longer developing new features and hardware for Windows 10 mobile as the operating system is officially placed into servicing mode.
According to a series of tweets, Microsoft’s Corporate Vice President in the Operating Systems Group Joe Belfiore revealed the system would just fix bugs and do security updates for existing users.
At the end of last month, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates revealed he is using an Android phone, although it does have ‘a lot of Microsoft software’.
Microsoft’s Corporate Vice President in the Operating Systems Group Joe Belfiore tweeted; ‘We have tried VERY HARD to incent app devs. Paid money.. wrote apps 4 them.. but volume of users is too low for most companies to invest’
Microsoft started gutting its phone business last year, making thousands of job cuts.
It also decided to drop the company’s mantra ‘mobile-first, cloud-first’.
One key problem for the company was the lack of apps on the mobile platform.
Belfiore tweeted; ‘We have tried VERY HARD to incent app devs. Paid money.. wrote apps 4 them.. but volume of users is too low for most companies to invest’.
‘Of course we’ll continue to support the platform.. bug fixes, security updates, etc. But building new features/hw aren’t the focus’.
In August Belfiore revealed he uses the Microsoft Edition of Samsung Galaxy S8 and switched to Android for better apps and hardware.
It seems the company will focus more on multi-device and cloud-powered technologies that do not always involve Windows, writes The Verge.
In an attempt to hold a spot on mobile, Microsoft has bought the Windows 10 PC browser, Edge to Android and iOS.
The browser allows users to share websites, apps, photos and other information between phones and Windows PC.
Facebook’s hugely popular Messenger app was cut from a huge number of Windows phones in March this year.
‘Of course we’ll continue to support the platform.. bug fixes, security updates, etc. But building new features/hw aren’t the focus’, Belfiore tweeted
The messaging service said it would no longer run on any of Microsoft’s smartphones using the Windows 8.1 operating system, or any of its earlier systems – which is estimated to be 76 per cent of Windows users.
Customers were informed of the change by an email from Facebook.
‘Thank you for choosing to use Messenger,’ the email reads.
‘We regret to inform you that at the end of March, the app version you’re using is no longer supported and you can not send and receive messages.
Microsoft started gutting its phone business last year, making thousands of job cuts and the decision to drop the company’s mantra ‘mobile-first, cloud-first’
At the end of last month, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates revealed he is using an Android phone, although it does have ‘a lot of Microsoft software’
‘To continue to send and receive messages from Facebook on your phone, update your Facebook app to the latest version.’
Phones affected by the withdrawal include the Microsoft Lumia 640, 640 XL and the Lumia 535.
Skype and WhatsApp had also withdrawn their services from phones run on Windows.
The operating system dipped to a 0.3 per cent of the market share by the end of Microsoft’s third financial quarter in 2016.
Critics have claimed that the apps available on Windows phones pale in comparison to their iOS and Android counterparts.