Windows Phone (and Lumia)
Ctrl+c, Ctrl+v. Windows buys a smartphone giant, takes over operations, then shutters its efforts within a few years. Sound familiar? Sadly, this time it happened to our beloved Nordic friends at Nokia.
Microsoft’s answer to iOS and Android, Windows Phone was a simple, easy-to-use smartphone OS that was much more responsive than any Android phone at the time. Launched in 2010 as a successor to Windows Mobile, Windows Phone differentiated itself with its “Metro” interface, which consisted of colorful “live tiles” that updated regularly to display relevant information. Samsung, HTC, Dell, and LG took the plunge, releasing handsets powered by Microsoft’s OS. At one point, Windows Phone was supported by some of the best hardware available, including the Nokia Lumia 808 Pureview with its 41MP camera.
The problem was simple: Windows Phone lacked apps. Microsoft couldn’t get developers to port their apps over to the OS. As such, owning a Windows Phone meant missing out on the growth of mega-popular apps like Instagram and YouTube. Hoping to revive interest in the platform, Microsoft outright purchased Nokia and eventually released devices under the “Microsoft Lumia” brand. It was too late. Windows Phone was faltering, its companion Windows 8 desktop OS was a disaster, and the apps weren’t coming fast enough. Windows Phone reached its end of life on January 14, 2020.
