Microsoft Is Dropping Windows Phone Support From Their Own Apps

Image: Getty Images

The protracted death of Windows Phone continues with Microsoft hammering three more nails into the coffin of their maligned mobile platform. The company has decided to retire Yammer, Microsoft Teams and Skype with the iOS and Android versions attracting developement effort, at the expense of WIndows Phone.

Earlier this year, Microsoft ended support for mobile push notifications. So, the company's decision to cut back software development for the platform is hardly a suprise.

Microsoft made the announcement, which is effective on 20 May 2018, through a blog post. After that date, the apps will disappear from the Windows Store. However, the browser-based versions of those applications will continue to work through a web browser.

With Google and Apple creating a duopoly I still hold out hope Microsoft or someone else will add some competition to the marketplace. I've already discussed that it's a shame the Windows Phone platform is dying but I still hold out hope for someone to give iOS and Android a shake up.

Comments

paranoidandroid @paranoidandroid

Apr 24, 2018, 10:05am
That face says it all, doesn't it?
Permalink

1

death_au @death_au

Apr 24, 2018, 10:29am
Ars is reporting that there's telephony APIs in Windows 10 now. I don't see them coming out with a new phone any time soon, but there is hope for the future if you want to believe.
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/04/new-phone-apis-in-windows-renews-speculation-about-the-mythical-surface-phone/

Between this, adaptive shell, future support for PWAs in the store and x86 emulation on ARM, in a year or so Windows could come back as a mobile OS, if anyone bothers to build a device for it.
Windows Phone is completely dead. But the idea of Windows on phones is not.
Permalink

0

barry @barry

Apr 24, 2018, 2:12pm
If media outlets like Gizmodo US didn't bad mouth the Windows Phone so much, the OS might have had a better chance. Also, if MS didn't re-start the OS about three times, it also might have had a better chance.
Permalink

0
- djbear @djbear
  
  Apr 24, 2018, 4:13pm
  If media outlets like Gizmodo US didn't bad mouth the Windows Phone so much, the OS might have had a better chance.
  
  So now its illegal to criticize a terrible phone?
  
  Ive owned 2 WP devices and i completely agree with a lot of the negative articles.
  
  WP failed because it was a terrible platform, And that lead to articles displaying how terrible it is.
  Permalink
  
  0
- strand0410 @strand0410
  
  Apr 24, 2018, 7:16pm
  Right. That's the real problem with WP, the inconvenient facts.
  
  Tech journalists wish they had so much influence.
  Permalink
  
  0