Here’s a teaser for you; if Windows Phone falls and no-one is around to see it, does it really fall?
Well today Microsoft has ended support for its Windows Phone 8.1 operating system, placing the final nail in the coffin of its expensive and damaging smartphone push.
While Windows 10 Mobile remains supported for the time being, the OS covers only 20 per cent of the handsets currently running on Microsoft’s mobile platform.
Windows 8.1 is only three years old and arrived as a major update for new and existing phones in 2014. Its death means 8/10 Windows Phones in circulation are now unsupported (via The Verge).
Related: Windows 10 Mobile review
It was replaced by Windows 10 Mobile in 2015, which buried the Windows Phone name, but introduced universal apps that worked across Windows 10 devices.
It also added the excellent-sounding Continuum feature which turned any Windows 10 Mobile device into a desktop PC when docked with a monitor and accessories.
Unfortunately, none of that was enough to revive the format and Microsoft stopped making Lumia-branded smartphones soon into Windows 10 Mobile’s cycle.
We’re not expecting to see any major new devices from third-party manufacturers at this point and the rumoured Surface Phone looks like a long-shot or a moon-shot .
Will you miss Windows Phone? Was it an underrated OS? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
