Is Microsoft Still Producing Windows Smartphones?

Microsoft indeed stopped its production of Windows smartphones several years ago. The last major update to the Windows Phone platform was the 2017 Fall Creators Update, followed by the last security patch in January 14, 2020. No further updates are planned, and the ecosystem support and user base have disappeared, marking the end of the Windows Phone era.

Why Did Microsoft Abandon Windows Phones?

The decision to discontinue the Windows Phone line was due to several factors. By December 10, 2019, Windows 10 Mobile users were no longer eligible for new security updates, non-security hotfixes, free assisted support options, or online technical content updates from Microsoft for free. Support for the platform was largely handed over to third-party providers or paid support programs.

History of Windows Phone

Windows Phone, abbreviated as WP, was a family of mobile operating systems developed by Microsoft for smartphones as a replacement to Windows Mobile and Zune. Unlike its predecessors, Windows Phone featured a new user interface derived from Microsoft's Metro design language and was primarily aimed at the consumer market rather than the enterprise market.

Evolution of Windows Phone

Windows Phone 8 succeeded the original Windows Phone and Windows Mobile in 2012 by replacing the Windows CE-based kernel of Windows Phone 7 with the Windows NT kernel. This update, however, made the operating system incompatible with all existing Windows Phone 7 devices, although it still supported apps designed for the earlier version. In 2014, with Windows Phone 8.1, Microsoft introduced Cortana, a virtual assistant, and Windows Runtime platform support for cross-platform app development between Windows PCs and phones.

End of the Line for Windows Phone

Microsoft released Windows 10 Mobile in 2015, which was more focused on integrating and unifying with Windows 10 for PCs. However, Microsoft dropped the Windows Phone brand to shift its focus on synergies with Windows 10 for PCs. Despite this, Windows 10 Mobile continued to receive updates for selected Windows Phone 8.1 devices, which was somewhat of a continuity from a technical standpoint.

Microsoft's investments in Windows Phone were notably boosted by a major partnership with Nokia. The Nokia Lumia series of smartphones, including the Lumia 520, became the primary devices sold for Windows Phone by 2013, as a result of Microsoft's acquisition of Nokia's mobile device business for over $7 billion, including the hiring of Stephen Elop, former CEO of Nokia, to lead Microsoft's in-house mobile division. Despite these efforts, the dominance of Android and iPhone continued, leading to a decline in interest from app developers.

Microsoft laid off the staff at Microsoft Mobile in 2016 after taking a write-off of $7.6 billion on the acquired Nokia hardware assets. In 2017, Microsoft ceased active development of Windows 10 Mobile. In 2020, Emperion briefly hinted at a Windows phone running Windows 10 on ARM, but it could not make phone calls and could only run Android apps without switching the OS or using an emulator.

By understanding the history and discontinuation of Windows Phones, one can appreciate the complexity of developing and maintaining mobile operating systems in a global consumer market.