14 DAY TRIAL // Statistics published by AdDuplex for the month of October reveal that no less than 73.8 percent of the Windows phones currently in use are running Windows Phone 8.1, a version of Microsoft’s mobile operating system that’s no longer getting updates since July this year.
This means that nearly 3 in 4 Windows phones out there aren’t getting any updates, and these include not only new features or bug fixes, but also security patches that could help users remain protected against recently-discovered vulnerabilities.
Microsoft itself said recently that Windows 10 Mobile was in development mode, with no new features or hardware on the radar, but at the same time, the firm also emphasized on its Windows Phone 8.1 support page that sticking with this version is a risky call because it could expose devices and stored data to attacks.
On the good side, Windows 10 Mobile is running on 20.9 percent of the phones, while Windows Phone 8.0 is surprisingly still powering 4.1 percent.
En-masse transition to iPhone and Android
AdDuplex admits that users are now switching to Android and iOS, pointing out that the transition takes place from all versions of Windows Phone, not just 8.1 or Windows 10 Mobile.
“With nothing to wait for in the Windows mobile space, users are gradually switching to other platforms. What's interesting though, is that overall OS version share numbers didn't change much since June. This probably means that the "exodus" is happening in equal parts from both Windows Phone 8.x as well as Windows 10 Mobile,” the stats read.
Lumia 535 continues to be the top Windows phone on the market with a share of 13 percent, followed by Lumia 640 and Lumia 630 with 10.2 percent and 8.2 percent, respectively. Microsoft’s flagship Lumia 950 is no longer included in the top 10, as most owners have probably already switched to alternatives running a rival mobile operating system.
What’s worse, none of the devices in the top 10 launched with Windows 10 Mobile, but were upgraded from Windows Phone 8.1, and this shows that Microsoft’s latest mobile OS version is collapsing as well.
