Microsoft discontinues Nokia X Android efforts. Moving forward the company will load every mobile handset with Windows Phone software. The announcement appears on an open email to employees by Stephen Elop, who detailed that Microsoft is shifting focus to provide customers with devices that can increase productivity and helping them to “do more”, and that doesn’t include Google’s Android software as part of the plan anymore.
The software giant will continue the plan to grow the Windows Phone market by selling more affordable Lumia handsets on already growing markets. To what is already planned, Microsoft will also deliver even lower-cost Lumia devices moving from Nokia X with Android to Nokia X running Windows Phone. “We expect to make this shift immediately while continuing to sell and support existing Nokia X products.”
The change only makes sense as Microsoft still has a long way ahead to conquer the mobile space and helping Android isn’t a logical strategy to grow. The good thing, though, is that the company will continue to support Nokia X with Android for devices already in the market, but expect new Nokia X running Windows Phone. (I wonder if Microsoft will push optional software update to upgrade to Windows Phone.)
Update: New report from The Verge, details that an internal memo sent by Jo Harlow, head of the phone business at Microsoft, to employees said that Asha, Series 40 (S40), and Nokia X phones will move to a maintenance mode, and support and updates will stop in the next 18 months.
Source Microsoft | Image source Flickr