NYPD Forced to Replace 36,000 Windows Phones After Microsoft Abandons Support

Hero Lumia 950 1280x721

We have known for some time that Windows Phone was on its way out. After Microsoft began axing new devices, no longer updating older phones to Redstone 3 and not even mentioning its name in its earning statements anymore, the end of the road is here. But for those who made big bets on the devices, like the NYPD, this is a major problem.

A 36,000 Windows Phones problem. As part of the NYPD’s $160 million mobility initiative, they deployed Windows Phones to their officers which are no longer supported by Microsoft; the phones use nearly a dozen custom-engineered apps that now must be ported to iOS.

The report comes from the NYPost who cites multiple sources and with 36,000 devices needing to be replaced, the upgrades will not come cheap; the phones were running Windows Phone 8.1

Microsoft is usually known for having exceptional support for enterprise customers and this burn of the NYPD is not typical of their standard business practices. That being said, for the millions that were spent on these phones, Lumia 830s and 640XLs, the devices are no longer serviceable for the NYPD and now must be replaced at taxpayer expense.

Delta also uses Windows Phones on their planes for in-flight purchases, I wonder if they will be dropping support for the devices in the near future as they also run Windows Phone 8.1.

Those who used Windows Phone will know that there was nothing wrong with the fundamental platform but the third-party support is what hampered its growth. Unfortunately for Microsoft, they have missed-out on the smartphone market and now find themselves trying to form a strategy around apps and services on competing platforms.