windowsphone
Latest
Microsoft will stop accepting new Windows 8 apps October 31st
Microsoft really, really wants app creators and users alike to focus on Windows 10, and it's now giving them a not-so-gentle nudge in that direction. The software maker has warned that it will stop accepting new Windows 8.x and Windows Phone 8.x apps for the Microsoft Store on October 31st, 2018. Developers can still submit updates to those apps, but that's going away in the future as well. Microsoft will stop delivering Windows Phone app updates on July 1st, 2019, and Windows 8 apps are going away on July 1st, 2023.
Microsoft stops pushing notifications to Windows 7 and 8 phones
The end of Microsoft's Windows Phone project has been a long time coming, and now there's another nail in the coffin. Microsoft is ending support for all push notifications for Windows Phone 7.5 and Windows Phone 8.0 starting Tuesday, February 20th. According to Microsoft's blog post, in addition to the discontinuation of push notifications, live tiles will no longer be updated and the find my phone feature will not work.
NYPD starts replacing cops' Windows Phones with iPhones
Microsoft will soon lose 36,000 of its remaining Windows Phone customers, as the NYPD starts distributing iPhones to its officers. The department, which first announced its decision to replace cops' Windows Phones last year, is now rolling out 600 iPhones a day in Manhattan. Once it's done upgrading the phones of all the cops in the borough, it'll start the rollout in Brooklyn and then in Queens. According to New York Daily News, the transition started just before Christmas, and officers can choose between the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus.
WhatsApp will ditch Blackberry OS and Windows Phone by New Year's
WhatsApp is bidding farewell to older mobile operating systems as the year draws to a close. Specifically, it's ending support for BlackBerry OS (including BlackBerry 10) and Windows Phone 8.0 and older on December 31st. Although the Facebook-owned messaging app will continue to work on these platforms, users won't be able to create new accounts or re-verify existing accounts. Oh, and WhatsApp claims its app could stop functioning at any time, so maybe it's time for that upgrade.
Microsoft reportedly tests a Courier-like folding digital notebook
With the success of its Surface lineup, it was only a matter of time until Microsoft revisited its Courier "digital journal" concept. The company is reportedly working on another foldable tablet, code-named Andromeda, which focuses heavily on pen input, Windows Central reports. And, surprisingly, it could make its way to consumers as early as next year. Given that Microsoft has practically given up on the smartphone market, Andromeda sounds like it's trying to forge a new type of mobile device. It could take advantage of the company's progress with Windows Ink to create what's essentially a digital Moleskin notebook.
Microsoft canceled an 'all-screen' Windows phone in 2014
All-screen phones may be all the rage in 2017, but Microsoft apparently had chance to beat everyone to the punch 3 years ago... and whiffed it. Windows Central has obtained the prototype of an unnamed Windows phone (believed to be the precursor to the Lumia 435) that had extremely thin display bezels save for the bottom, where a chin held the front-facing camera. The performance would have been modest by 2014 standards with a 5-inch 720p screen, a Snapdragon 200 chip, 4GB of expandable storage and a 5-megapixel rear camera, but you'd have had an eye-catching design for under $200. To put it another way, you wouldn't have had to buy a Sharp Aquos Crystal to impress your smartphone-toting friends while sticking to a budget.
Microsoft exec says Windows 10 Mobile is no longer a 'focus'
It's no secret that work on Windows 10 Mobile has wound down given the lack of new devices and software features (talk of mobile Windows updates was virtually absent at Build, for example), but what's happening with it, exactly? Well, Microsoft's Joe Belfiore has just settled the matter. The Windows VP (and former Windows Phone program manager) informed Twitter users that new features and hardware for Windows 10 Mobile "aren't the focus" any more. There will be fixes and security patches, of course, but you shouldn't expect more than that.
NYPD is already replacing its Windows phones with iPhones
The NYPD is learning a hard lesson about the dangers of buying a declining smartphone platform in bulk. The New York Post understands that the police force is replacing all 36,000 of its officers' Windows phones with iPhones just two years after the rollout began. It's not exactly clear as to why, but Microsoft recently ended support for Windows Phone 8.1 -- the standard-issue Lumia 830 and 640 XL devices won't get any help if something goes wrong. The switch to iPhones also suggests that the NYPD doesn't see a long-term value in upgrading to Windows 10 Mobile.
Microsoft officially ends support for Windows Phone
It's official: for all intents and purposes, the Windows Phone era is over. Microsoft has ended support for Windows Phone 8.1 just over 3 years after its April 2014 debut. From now on, your WP8.1-toting device won't get software updates or technical help. This doesn't mark the end of Microsoft's mobile ambitions (Windows 10 Mobile is still hanging around), but it does finish a long, sad story in the company's history that reflects the tech giant's shifting priorities.
Yes, you can actually beat 'Threes!'
Just when you thought the deceptively complex puzzler Threes! wasn't beatable, the internet comes along and proves you wrong. Three and a third years later (confirmed by the development team) the folks behind the ThreesPorn Twitter account have captured something special in the GIFs embedded below. It's quite a bit more elaborate as the victory screen for Solitaire on Windows, too. If you're going to strive to beat it yourself now that you know it's possible, don't scroll down. But if you want to know what score you should strive to top here's your target: 1,594,458.
The hunt for Windows Phone
MWC -- the world's biggest phone show -- is happening all around me. Nearly every new phone that's been announced here in Barcelona is Android-powered, while the ever-influential iPhone keeps other halls filled with cases, add-ons and every color of Lightning cable imaginable. But where is Windows Phone? We know it still exists, somewhere between dead and living. If you browse through Microsoft's Windows Phone store online, you'll see HP's Elite X3 take pride of place (with a tiny Lumia footnote) ... but that's about it. A Microsoft spokesperson told me that the company "remain[s] committed to our universal Windows platform. We will continue to support and invest in these types of mobile experiences for Windows 10." But c'mon, this is MWC. There must be something here, right? Here's what I could find.
BlackBerry's share of the smartphone market is virtually zero
BlackBerry may be hoping for a recovery in its smartphone business, but it's hitting rock bottom right now. Gartner analysts estimate that BlackBerry's once-dominant platform hit 0.0 percent market share in the fourth quarter of 2016. Yes, zilch. The company did ship 207,000 phones, but that gives it less than half the unit volume of the "other OS" category. This wasn't hard to see coming given BlackBerry's years-long decline, gradual shift toward Android and recent focus on services. It's still incredibly symbolic, however, and shows that the company's deal with TCL effectively amounts to starting from scratch.
Microsoft drops support for 'Minecraft' on Windows Phone
Microsoft, which owns Minecraft, will stop supporting the Windows Phone 8.1 version of its own immensely popular world building game, Ars Technica reports. While the game's development continues apace, Redmond is essentially admitting that even with a massive player base, the venn diagram between Windows Phone users and Minecraft fans has too little overlap to be worth the effort.
Watch HP's Elite X3 Windows Phone simulate a desktop
After spending plenty of time with HP's Elite X3 Windows Phone, it's hard not to be impressed by the company's ambition. It's just too bad the execution isn't so great. The Elite X3 builds on Microsoft's Continuum feature, which gives phones pseudo-desktop interfaces on larger monitors, with Workspace, a virtual environment that lets you run full Windows apps. Together with a Desk Dock and Lap Dock, HP intends for the X3 to serve as both a laptop and desktop replacement. But while Workspace is a decent fix for Continuum's issues, I don't think it's enough to make the X3 a viable option for most workers.
Microsoft's never-released 'McLaren' phone gets a review
Remember Microsoft's Nokia-branded McLaren smartphone? It was supposed to carry the torch for Windows Phone in late 2014 through its exotic 3D touch input (which Apple wouldn't have until 2015), but it was cancelled just months before launch for reasons unknown. However, the ill-fated device is finally getting its moment in the spotlight. Windows Central has reviewed a McLaren prototype, and it's clear that the Microsoft mobile team was on to something... if not as much as it first thought. Its proximity sensor-based 3D touch not only works, but showcases a few clever tricks. Live Tiles could expand into sub-tiles as your finger got closer, and it could keep the screen awake so long as you held the phone in your hands.
HP's Elite X3 Windows Phone launches next month for $699
Been waiting for a phone that could pull triple duty as your handheld, laptop and desk machine? Then your day has almost come: HP says that its Elite X3 will hit shelves late next month. The $699 handset is HP's first smartphone in over two years, and it's kind of a gamble -- it's a high-end Windows Phone launching at a time when Microsoft's mobile OS sales are at an all time low.
Valve's mobile version of Steam finally hits Windows Phone
Steam hasn't forgotten about the remaining Windows Phone faithful. It just seemed that way, with folks on Android and iOS getting a mobile app way back in 2012. The Windows Store listing says that you'll be able to use Stream Guard's authentication system, trade and sell items, keep an eye on the game marketplace and remote download and install games to your PC via the application. Just in time for this year's summer sale; how about that?
Microsoft updates Windows Maps as Here support is set to expire
Microsoft's mobile ecosystem is in rough shape, so it didn't help when Nokia sold its Here mapping software to a German auto consortium. That group promptly pulled Windows support, leaving users with few navigation options. However, the software giant is working to improve Windows Maps, the native app for Windows 10 users, and has just issued a big update. It says the improvements go "far beyond directions," but perhaps the biggest one is for guided navigation.
PayPal is killing its Windows Phone, BlackBerry and Amazon apps
On June 30th, PayPal is forcing all its Android and iOS users to update their apps to version 6 if they haven't yet. Notice how Windows Phone, BlackBerry and Android Fire users aren't included in that list? That's because the company is killing its apps for those platforms on the same day. PayPal didn't explain why it decided on shutting down its non-Android and non-iOS applications. In her announcement post, PayPal VP Joanna Lambert only mentioned that everyone can still access the mobile website and that it's still possible to send P2P payments via BBM or to send money from their inbox on Outlook.
The collapse of Microsoft and Nokia's mobile business
Microsoft's smartphone business is in free fall, with the company selling just 2.3 million devices in the last three months. It's likely that you'll still be able to buy a Microsoft-branded smartphone, but it's probably not something the firm will devote a lot of time and energy to. After all, making phones is an expensive business, and if there's no chance to make any sort of profit, it's not worth the effort. If you've been watching Microsoft over the last five years, it'll come as no surprise that its smartphone plans have foundered. If you want to explore the evolution and collapse of Microsoft's mobile ambitions, check out our timeline.
