Microsoft extends support plans for Windows Phone 8
Friday, July 12, 2013 - 12:08:48
There were many complaints made in the wake of the announcement that Microsoft was only intending to support the Windows Phone 8 mobile operating system until mid-2014.
This would give the platform just a year and a half in the limelight before it effectively became obsolete, making the investment in a handset running it with a two year contract a questionable endeavour.
However, the Windows Phone Blog reports this week that Microsoft has now gone back on its original assertion and has since confirmed that Windows Phone 8 will remain relevant until January of 2016.
Sources say that Microsoft has changed its tune because it wants to appeal to more enterprise customers, with investments being made in business-friendly features, which will help Windows Phone 8 to become a viable alternative to iOS and Android in this particular market segment.
Next year there will be an enterprise feature pack launched for WP8, although at the time of writing, Microsoft has yet to actually explain what it plans to include in this software update. It is also not certain whether all devices will be getting it, or whether it will vary, depending on the manufacture and network provider that is involved.
Now the impending arrival of Nokia's new high end Lumia phone, with a 41 megapixel camera, is looking even more tempting, since you should get at least two years of usage out of it with Microsoft's backing.
Of course if you want to sell your old mobile phone and exchange it for a new one, then Windows Phone 9 should have touched down before WP8 is taken out of commission. Although its market share remains small, Windows Phone is being set up for significant growth and could cause a sea change in the near future.
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