Microsoft had some lofty goals with Windows Phone when it was first introduced, and even more so when the software started to mature. None of those goals seem all that crazy nowadays, as most of them have been manifested by other companies with other platforms, but they were enough to get people excited about another mobile operating system despite the dominance that iOS and Android clearly already held even back then.
I was definitely one of those people. And it's genuinely sad to see Windows Phone/10 Mobile going extinct.
Microsoft recently suggested owners of its mobile devices should switch to iOS or Android, as they are officially ending support for the mobile platform this year. By the time the end of December rolls around, Windows on smartphones won't be getting security updates anymore. And that will be that.
A lot of people out there, probably folks with blind hope more than anything else, thought Microsoft was going to try and form some kind of a comeback. Surface Phone, to be exact. Whether that would be a device for the general consumer or with a specific business customer bent remained a hot topic for quite some time, but ultimately the device never surfaced.
And now we've got so many reports about Microsoft's Project Andromeda, which will bring Windows 10 to foldable devices, and the obvious question is: Why can't this be a foldable phone? Well, we know why now: Microsoft doesn't want to compete in that market anymore. Instead, it wants to be the company that offers services for the other mobile operating systems, serving great apps and platforms for iOS and Android.
And this makes sense! While I will definitely miss Windows Phone, I think it comes down to the fact that I'll miss having another option for a mobile operating system rather than just iOS and Android. Truth be told, Windows Phone will always hold a special place in my heart, but if someone said we could choose between Windows 10 Mobile or a reinvention of webOS that kept a lot of what made that software great? I'd choose webOS without a second's hesitation.
Microsoft's mobile operating system has been gone for a long time, but we still need to pour one out with the company's latest announcement. It's time to say our final goodbye to Windows Phone and Windows 10 Mobile. It's bittersweet to say the least.
Did you have a favorite Windows Phone/10 Mobile device, one that you'd love to see brought back with updated specs (and proper app support)? Let me know!