14 DAY TRIAL // It’s been a while since we reported about a big developer that decided to abandon Windows phones and move the focus exclusively to Android and iOS, so here we are today with a large bank that sees no reason to continue investing in Microsoft’s mobile platform.
Dutch bank ABN AMRO has decided to discontinue its app for Windows phones and concentrate on rival platforms Android and iOS, explaining that the app will be pulled from the Store in June.
The official reason it provides in a statement on its website is that there are some technical limitations on Windows 10 Mobile and this is why Android and iOS make more sense, but in reality, we all know this is just another way of saying that there’s absolutely no reason to maintain a Windows phone app with such a small market share.
“Unfortunately, the app will stop working from June 2017. We constantly improve our apps and bring new updates, but for the latest versions we’re closely looking at the technical capabilities that are exclusively available on Android and iOS,” the company says in a statement. “Windows phone cannot offer these capabilities, so therefore we have decided to stop supporting the platform.”
Android and iOS
The bank then goes on to explain that both Android and iOS will continue to get updates and recommends users to switch to one of these two platforms if they still want mobile banking on their devices.
Windows phones currently have a market share of approximately 0.5 percent, depending on the market research firm providing the data, while Android is leading the market with nearly 85 percent. iOS is the runner-up worldwide with around 14 percent, so it’s not difficult to see why most developers are jumping ship from Windows phones and heading towards these two platforms.
Unfortunately, Microsoft still thinks that remaining tight-lipped on its mobile vision is a good idea, and there’s a good chance that more developers would switch all their efforts to Android and iOS just because of this whole uncertainty.