14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft is believed to be preparing the demise of the Lumia brand, and the company has just dropped another hint that this might indeed be the plan.
The software giant is killing off the Lumia Offers app in order to put the focus on the Windows Store, which according to a notification released by Microsoft itself, now provides access to the same content as the original app.
The problem is that it doesn’t, as the Lumia Offers app also provided Lumia owners with exclusive deals that are not available in the Store, such as special prices for accessories, as is the case of the Continuum dock.
“We have a new home in Windows Store. We’ve integrated our offers and promotions right in the Windows Store. Check it out for the latest and greats apps, games, music, movies, tv and more,” the message displayed in the Lumia Offers app reads.
The end of the Lumia brand
While it could make sense for Microsoft to group everything in the Windows Store, people with knowledge of the matter previously hinted that the Lumia brand is projected to go dark as soon as this December.
Microsoft might be aiming towards a strategy inspired from the Surface tablet and focus entirely on just one product, leaving the rest of the ecosystem in the hands of partners.
That product could be the Surface Phone, a flagship model supposed to run Windows 10 Mobile and come with the latest in terms of hardware. Its release date, however, is still uncertain for the time being and there are voices indicating that Microsoft could hold back the release until early 2018, even though the phone was originally expected next year.
This plan is yet to be confirmed by Microsoft, but the company has dropped several hints in this regard, so it remains to be seen if the Lumia brand is indeed seeing its demise this year or not. Right now, however, it appears that Microsoft isn’t considering another option.