14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has finally confirmed that Windows Phone is dead, admitting that it failed to deal with the lack of apps, and now what the company plans to do in mobile is concentrate on its apps and services available on Android and iOS.
Asked about the users who are giving up on Windows phones for iPhone and Android, Joe Belfiore, currently in charge of the Windows experience and Microsoft Edge, explained that the software giant simply wants to support customers no matter their platform.
So should you decide to switch from Windows to Android or iOS, that’s perfectly fine because Microsoft will continue to update apps on rival platforms to make sure that you feel like home.
“Actually, a huge, huge majority of our Windows/Office (and Xbox) users are mixed-ecosystem. MOST people have a different phone than ‘PC,’” Belfiore explained.
“We’ll support everyone”
Questioned whether this is the time to abandon Windows 10 Mobile, Belfiore explained that it all “depends [on] who you are. Many companies still deploy to their employees and we will support them.”
Belfiore, however, admitted that he switched sides already, as he’s currently using Android and not Windows 10 Mobile. In the last 12 months, he’s been spotted using both an iPhone and a Samsung Galaxy S7 edge, and more recently he reckoned his device of choice is a Samsung flagship running Microsoft apps.
“As an individual end-user, I switched platforms for the app/hw diversity. We will support those users too! Choose what's best 4 u,” Belfiore explained.
Without Windows 10 Mobile, Microsoft wants to remain an important mobile player with a large portfolio of apps running on iPhone and Android, providing customers with an easy way to connect to its services no matter the platform.
As for the future of Windows 10 Mobile, the feature2 update is still in the queue, though Microsoft hasn’t yet revealed the release date. No new features would be included in this update, but only bug fixes and performance improvements.