Microsoft has brought an end to the Windows Phone era. The Windows Phone 8.1 is no longer supported, and will not be seeing any patches or updates as of 11 July 2017. It’s a sad thing to see the operating system reach the end of its life cycle; but it’s even more confusing as Microsoft doesn’t seem to have a clear plan going forward.
Windows Phone 8.1 was developed to replace Windows Phone 7; which was an adequate mobile operating system. WP 8.1 brought about improvements that won many fans and was helped along by a string of fantastic devices in the Nokia Lumia family. That said, it failed to find financial success in a world ruled by Android and iOS.
At the moment, Microsoft still has a mobile operating system in Windows 10 Mobile. Although one would be forgiven for failing to remember that it exists. There are precious few devices running the OS, and Microsoft tends to avoid talking about it.
Microsoft’s official statement is that it still has designs for Windows 10 Mobile, despite having completely gutted the division working on it. It’s conceivable that the company is still working on a new smartphone, as rumours of a Surface Phone appear every time a developer conference happens.
[Source: Microsoft]
