Microsoft Finally Has the Guts to Say It: Windows Phone Is Dead

We’ve known for a while that Windows Phone/Windows 10 Mobile is dead, but despite all the signs that the platform has no future, Microsoft has always stated exactly the opposite.

The company said on several occasions that it’s still committed to Windows phones, and even though no specifics were provided, several executives dropped hints every once in a while that something big is on its way.

And yet, here’s Joe Belfiore, the former Windows Phone guru, saying that Microsoft’s mobile operating system as a platform is indeed dead and nothing new is coming to devices running it.

In a series of tweets discussing the company’s struggle with Windows phone, Belfiore revealed that Microsoft just couldn’t resolve the lack of apps because after several approaches to convince developers to bring apps on the platform, only a few of them agreed to do it.

“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,” he said.

No new features and devices

So what’s going to happen with Windows 10 Mobile? Does it still have a future? Will new features be released? Are there any new phones on their way to the market?

Belfiore says the answer to most of these questions is “no.” While Windows 10 Mobile will still be supported, no new features are on the radar. In other words, the platform is in maintenance mode until the company eventually pulls it completely.

“Of course we'll continue to support the platform.. bug fixes, security updates, etc. But building new features/hw aren't the focus,” Belfiore explained.

Asked about the chances to see some Windows phone features, such as live tiles, migrating to Android, Belfiore stated that it’s pretty difficult to do it because once again “we’d need the apps to support their own tiles.”

So there you go, Microsoft has finally acknowledged that Windows 10 Mobile is a dead platform, and sticking with it means that you won’t be getting any new features anytime soon. Android and iOS sound like much better options now, aren’t they?