Microsoft officially exists the mobile OS battle

Dec 11, 2019 09:14 GMT  ·  By

Microsoft has officially abandoned its mobile operating system, with the last cumulative update now available for download for devices still in use.

Windows 10 Mobile would no longer be serviced, which means that any security vulnerabilities discovered in the operating system would remain unpatched going forward.

The last cumulative update for Windows 10 Mobile is KB4522812, and it increases the OS build number to 15254.600. It includes the same improvements from KB4530714, which is the December 10 cumulative update for Windows 10 version 1709.

There are no Windows 10 Mobile-specific improvements in this cumulative update, and Microsoft explains that it brings security patches for Windows when basic operations are performed, but also when using external devices, such as game controllers and web cameras.

As every other cumulative update going live on Patch Tuesday, KB4522812 comes with security updates for OS components, such as the Windows kernel, Windows virtualization, and the Microsoft Scripting engine.

Choosing between Android and iOS is a must

Microsoft has been trying to push Windows 10 Mobile users to Android and iOS for a couple of years already, so now that Windows 10 Mobile is no longer supported, choosing between the two is obviously a necessary evil.

While Windows 10 Mobile devices will continue to work even without support, apps will one by one be removed, with more developers to switch the focus to Android and iOS as well.

The Microsoft Store app will also be retired soon, so installing apps will no longer be possible. In other words, Windows 10 Mobile has officially become a thing of the past, and there’s no way to go in mobile other than moving to Android or iPhone.

Windows 10 Mobile is already at 0 percent market share, so only a very small number of users is likely to be impacted by this highly-anticipated end of support.