HP Halts Development of Windows 10 Mobile Smartphones, to Discontinue X3 in 2019
by Anton Shilov on October 11, 2017 6:45 PM EST- Posted in
- Smartphones
- HP
- Microsoft
- Windows 10
- Windows 10 Mobile
- HP Elite x3
An HP executive said be quoted on record at an industry event stating that the company has axed development of future devices based on Microsoft’s Windows 10 Mobile operating system, and that the Elite X3 will be the final smartphone featuring the OS. HP indicated that Microsoft has shifted its priorities when it comes to mobile platforms and HP no longer sees Windows 10 Mobile as a competitive offering for its clients. Meanwhile, sales of the HP Elite X3 will continue until 2019.
HP was the first to support Microsoft’s Windows CE 2.0 platform in the mid-1990s and has continued to support Microsoft’s mobile operating systems since then, offering devices based on Windows for Pocket PC, Windows Mobile, Windows Phone and others. HP was among a few companies to sell smartphones based on the Windows 10 Mobile with its Elite X3, but it looks like the company does not have plans for any future devices based on Microsoft’s OS for smartphones.
Microsoft’s Windows Mobile was among the most popular operating systems for smartphones in the U.S., but after Apple launched iOS and Google released Android, the popularity of WinMo quickly dropped. Eventually, after Satya Nadella took over as CEO of Microsoft, the company began to focus on development of software for other platforms and cloud services.
HP implies that Microsoft does not invest in its own mobile OS enough to make it competitive, which is why HP is no longer interested in developing devices featuring the platform. The company will keep selling the Elite X3 until 2019, so for at least 14 more months.
"Microsoft, as all companies do, decided on a change in strategy and so they are less focused on what they thought they would be focused on today," said Nick Lazaridis, the head of HP EMEA, in an interview with The Register. "Given that, we also had decided that without Microsoft's drive and support there it doesn't make sense. If the software, if the operating system ecosystem isn't there then we are not an operating system company."
Microsoft denies that it has ceased development of its Windows 10 Mobile platform and says that it intends to continue to development of the OS and supporting its existing Lumia smartphones. Meanwhile, the company does not announce plans for future version of the operating system and future devices.
At present, the HP Elite X3 is available directly from HP, from Microsoft Store and from Amazon, so we cannot say that the device has been discontinued.
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Source: The Register
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StevoLincolnite - Friday, October 13, 2017 - link
I used to be a Windows Phone user. Until I wasn't.Microsoft didn't iterate on hardware fast enough or significantly enough.
maximumGPU - Friday, October 13, 2017 - link
dude, cheer up.. it's just a joke.lmcd - Thursday, October 12, 2017 - link
Honestly, this whole thing makes me so mad. Yes, plenty of you wonder "why not just use Android or iPhone," but for me it's extremely straightforward. I don't want a dumbphone, Android is too distracting, and iOS is too constraining. Windows was the platform in the middle. I'm set for a while, as I just got the excellent Alcatel Idol 4S a few months back. Nevertheless, I now have to treat this phone with extreme caution. I may even end up buying another handset as backup.Lolimaster - Friday, October 13, 2017 - link
Never ally to MSFT for it's "new" endeavors, will make you lose money and big money sooner or later.Hurr Durr - Friday, October 13, 2017 - link
Just like AMD.BrokenCrayons - Friday, October 13, 2017 - link
I liked the idea of the X3's docking capability, but the same can be done using an Android phone if the USB port supports the right standards or you don't mind latency from something like Miracast. You lose access to some software, but the basics are already there. Then again, if I absolutely had to, I could live with a crappy budget Android as my only compute device even without attaching it to an external screen or interface devices via bluetooth.maximumGPU - Friday, October 13, 2017 - link
ex-windows phone here (3 years). It really did have good potential, the OS was fresh and the home screen was better than the one on ios and android imho. But the amount of U-turns and abandoning MS does is really worrying. Windows phone 7, windows RT, windows mobile 10, etc.. all of them leaving loyal users in the dust. They certainly lost my trust.DroidTomTom - Friday, October 13, 2017 - link
W7 LG Quantum > W10 Lumia 640 current. (going on 7years for my wife) Just please release a Win10 Launcher for Android that mimics the UI of WM10. Then my wife can finally have a real podcast player and our apps will be interoperable.SBD.3 - Wednesday, November 15, 2017 - link
It always amazes me the hate for the Windows phone from Android and Apple users. I'm #4 of the 5 Windows Mobile users out there and when we get done with our Al-Anon meeting and baking brownies for Colin Kaepernick so he can gain inner strength I'll gone using my HP Elite x3 and continue to be very happy about it. There's plenty of life left in it.It is a shame Microsoft has chosen to devote all their time improving Windows via Android. I've seen several friends who've loaded their devices with everything Microsoft. The functionality is there. And if it is not to your liking there are thousands of other apps in that universe. So enjoy your Androids. Worship your iPhone's but understand that we are all losing here. The Cell Phone environment is a boring wasteland of copy cat handsets. The consumer is almost completely tied to the OS that runs the phone. AT&T stores look like Samsung and Apple satellite kiosks.
I'll keep on using my crappy Microsoft HP handset. I'll keep enjoying something that's a little different. I'll enjoy that while it lasts and then I'll probably buy a BlackBerry Motion and pretend that's not an Android phone even though it is.
michael366 - Tuesday, February 20, 2018 - link
What a pity... Microsoft deliberately abandoned the Windows on Mobile platform in favour of another adventure - Andromeda and OneCore OS. Another reboot, and even more disappointed users than ever. The upcoming Surface Phone (if any) won't have almost any apps for a mobile form factor. However, all remaining users on Windows 10 Mobile (like those with HP Elite x3) will be supported until late 2019. http://www.windowsphonearea.com/windows-10-mobile-...This is admirable, but not enough - we want apps.