14 DAY TRIAL // It’s not easy to be a Windows phone fan these days, as most of the news making the rounds point to developers leaving the platform and applications that no longer support their devices.
And today, such news is again in the spotlight, as Italian carrier TIM is waving goodbye to Microsoft’s mobile platform by removing carrier billing support.
Announced by Microsoft with much fanfare a few years ago, carrier billing on Windows, including on Windows phones, allowed users to purchase apps, games, and other content from the Windows Store without a credit card, but have the purchases they make included in their carrier plans.
Of course, this came in very handy since it was all super convenient, but carrier billing support has lost traction slowly, especially on Windows phones where the number of developers supporting the platform dropped substantially in the last couple of years.
Microsoft still tight-lipped
Microsoft hasn’t provided any statement on TIM’s decision, but instead the carrier says that starting September 28, carrier billing support would be pulled completely, with users having to turn to other payment methods to pay for the contents they buy. Credit cards and PayPal will still be supported.
One of the worst thing happening right now in the Windows phone community is the complete silence coming out of the Redmond headquarters, with Microsoft not saying a single thing about its mobile vision.
Except for some promises that something big would come at one point, the company has remained pretty much tight-lipped on the future of its mobile platform, making many believe that Windows phones are dead for good.
The next big milestone is the release of feature2, a new update that doesn’t include anything else than a bunch of bug fixes and a couple of new features, as compared to PCs which are getting a substantial update as part of the Redstone 3 rollout. As to what’s next for Windows phones, it’s all just a waiting game for now.