Microsoft is planning to end support for Windows 10 Mobile devices in December. While Microsoft revealed back in 2017 that the company was no longer developing new features or hardware for Windows 10 Mobile, security and software updates have continued. These security updates will now cease on December 10th 2019, and devices will be unsupported after this date. “Windows 10 Mobile, version 1709 (released October 2017) is the last release of Windows 10 Mobile and Microsoft will end support on December 10, 2019,” reads a Microsoft support note that was updated this week.
Microsoft is now recommending that Windows 10 Mobile users move to iOS or Android devices. “With the Windows 10 Mobile OS end of support, we recommend that customers move to a supported Android or iOS device,” explains a FAQ on Windows 10 Mobile end of life. After Microsoft pulls support in December, device backups for settings and some apps will continue for three months until March 10th, 2020. Microsoft notes “some services including photo uploads and restoring a device from an existing device backup may continue to work for up to another 12 months from end of support.”
It’s yet another one of those moments where Windows Phone dies a little more, and every time, it makes me sad. I was a first-day adopter of both Windows Phone 7.x and 8.x, and to this day I maintain it was the most pleasant to use modern mobile operating system. I’m still sad Microsoft was unable to attract the third party developers required to keep a smartphone platform afloat.
Does this mean the app store shuts down too? I was thinking of buying a cheap Lumia 950 but if I can’t get any apps, there is no point.
It will likely shut down as well, maybe not when the update service ends but probably soon after.
Which also makes me think the Surface Phone will never arrive. Microsoft is washing its hands of full-on phones and focusing on tablets in the portable space. As much as I hate that, it makes sense.
There will be a Surface Phone, but it won’t run Windows.
You mean the Andromeda project? I think you meant it won’t run Windows 10 Mobile, which is dying off. It will still run Windows but it will be the new Windows Core OS tablet-focused edition, as the device won’t be a bespoke phone but a tablet/phone foldable hybrid (last I heard).
So, Android? 😛
The Andromeda project? Funny how everybody talks as if the thing exists, despite being an unofficial rumour.
There’s a ton of information out there, it’s more than just a rumor.
https://m.windowscentral.com/windows-core-os
I have had a love/hate relationship with Microsoft over the years. They’ve done some great stuff – especially in the dev and hardware areas. Did not like they way they used their monopoly to embrace, extend (and corrupt), extinguish & control emerging standards and companies, their arcane and expensive licensing model (and enforcement) and also their past belligerence to all things Linux /opensource.
I just think devs had been burned too many times with incompatible platform upgrades to make it a viable platform on top of Apple & Googles huge lead in the market. There seemed to be potential – the UI was really cool but things were changing too fast and their vision for the future seemed a bit confused.
Microsoft weren’t “unable” to attract app developers. Rather, they deliberately burned them with “upgrades” which required brand new devices, and rapid API changes. I’m not sad to see these tactics earn Microsoft’s mobile development team their just rewards. This was the inevitable consequence of a horrible business strategy and, for once, they actually have to suffer said consequences instead of running over everyone with an inferior platform.
If I may add, not supporting OpenGL to push people towards Direct3D. Plus the incompatible API changes without any Support Library to make them work on existing devices.
OpenGL/Direct3D debacle hardly matters to most devs anyway, only to engine ones …and since most used engines are multiplatform, they support D3D anyway.
I think they will massage Win10 until it can run on phones. MS will make sure that apps for the Surface tablets will also work on 6 inch devices.