San Francisco: After struggling to sell Windows phones for quite some time as Google’s Android and Apple iOS Operating Systems (OS) surged ahead, Microsoft has finally admitted that the software giant will no longer develop new features or hardware for Windows 10 mobiles.
In a series of tweets, Joe Belfiore, Corporate Vice President in the Operating Systems Group at Microsoft, revealed late on Sunday that the Windows operating system will only help with bug fixes and security updates for existing users.
“Of course we’ll continue to support the platform.. bug fixes, security updates. But building new features/hw [hardware] aren’t the focus,” Belfiore tweeted.
The devices that use Windows OS are HP Elite x3, Microsoft Lumia 950 XL, Microsoft Lumia 950 and Nokia Lumia 930, among others.
Bill Gates has already stopped using Windows phone.
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HP Inc is also halting production of its flagship Windows handset. HP Inc recently admitted it won’t add any new handset to its existing “Elite” Windows smartphone lineup.
Belfiore also admitted that Microsoft will still support Windows 10 customers who want to use Android and iOS on their phones.
“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,” Belfiore posted.
According to market research firm Kantar, Windows phones account for just 1.3 per cent of the market — from from 2.4 per cent last year — in the US.
Even though Microsoft has reported a fall in Surface PC line and Windows phones revenues, the Redmond-based tech giant is reportedly aiming for new devices called “Surface Phones” and has made its patent public.
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According to media reports, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has confirmed that Microsoft will “make more phones, but they will not look like phones that are there today.”
Microsoft is set to roll out the “Fall Creators” update for Windows 10 on October 17 which will include Virtual Reality (VR) and Mixed Reality (MR) support sans the mobile experience.
—IANS