14 DAY TRIAL // It’s not a secret that Microsoft abandoned Windows phones, and last year, the company even pulled Lumia phones from its stores completely. Instead, it continued selling the Alcatel IDOL 4S, the HP Elite X3, and a bunch of Android devices.
But this past weekend, several Lumia phones showed up in the Microsoft Store completely out of the blue, as the company has apparently discovered a new stock of devices and wanted to get rid of them.
Surprisingly, however, these Lumia phones are not included in the “All mobile phone” section, where the same devices mentioned above continue to be listed, though it’s possible to find them by using the direct links in the browser instead.
Four Lumia Windows phones now available
As WL reports, Microsoft is now selling the Lumia 950 for $399 and the Lumia 950 XL for $499, while the Lumia 550 can be purchased for just $139. A dual SIM Lumia 650 is also offered for $179. All models are unlocked and some come in two color versions, as it’s the case of the Lumia 950 XL, which can be purchased in black or white.
As to the reason why these models are back in stock and for how long, it’s hard to tell what Microsoft is actually planning, as it’s believed that the software giant wants to abandon Windows phones entirely.
Instead, the company wants to invest in mobile apps and services, and rumor has it that a new mobile device could land sometime this year with either Windows 10 ARM or Windows Polaris. Instead of a typical smartphone, however, there’s a good chance Microsoft builds a Courier-like device with foldable screens and support for multiple form factors, including tablet and phone.
All these are still in the rumor stage, however, so it remains to be seen if Microsoft still wants to invest in phone hardware or not.