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Microsoft Stops Pushing Notifications To Windows 7 and 8 Phones (engadget.com)

Posted by msmash on from the great-riddance dept.

The end of Microsoft's Windows Phone project has been a long time coming, and now there's another nail in the coffin. From a report: Microsoft is ending support for all push notifications for Windows Phone 7.5 and Windows Phone 8.0 starting Tuesday, February 20th. According to Microsoft's blog post, in addition to the discontinuation of push notifications, live tiles will no longer be updated and the find my phone feature will not work. It's important to note that this doesn't apply to newer devices.

10 of 64 comments (clear)

  1. Old versions? by DogDude · · Score: 4, Informative

    So they're discontinuing a minor feature on old versions of Windows Phone. Why would that mean that "the end of Windows Phone" is coming? They're still actively supporting Windows Phone 10.

    --
    I don't respond to AC's.
    1. Re:Old versions? by alvinrod · · Score: 2

      Indeed. I think more people will be surprised that Windows Phone is still around than anything else. I actually do have an old Nokia with Windows Phone 8 on it from years ago when I needed a phone while traveling to a place where my existing phone wouldn't work due to different cellular bands being used, but I'm honestly more surprised than anything that it would still be getting updates this long after the fact.

    2. Re:Old versions? by jareth-0205 · · Score: 3, Informative

      So they're discontinuing a minor feature on old versions of Windows Phone. Why would that mean that "the end of Windows Phone" is coming? They're still actively supporting Windows Phone 10.

      Eh? They're discontinuing a central feature (push messages) of some of their smartphones. On their old devices, but not that old. Windows Phone 8 was still being sold in 2013.

    3. Re:Old versions? by UnknowingFool · · Score: 4, Interesting

      That would be the case if owners of Windows Phone 7.5 and 8.0 could update to newer versions. My understanding is that not all of them can. Heck some Windows 7.5 owners couldn't even upgrade to 8.0

      --
      Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
    4. Re:Old versions? by jellomizer · · Score: 2

      Being that such a feature required Microsoft infrastructure to support. So they are slowly dismantling the Phone Infrastructure. Windows Phone 10, is probably still has enough users to keep it going. But if they can bring down a lot of the Push Notification servers and just meet the Windows 10 Phone user they should be OK. Where they can take their employees and move them elsewhere.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    5. Re:Old versions? by thsths · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Windows Phone 10 was not available until 2016, so obviously Windows Phone 8 devices were sold long into 2016. Some of those might be less than 2 years old. Granted, most will have an update to Windows Phone 10, but disabling the platform so soon will leave a sour taste.

    6. Re:Old versions? by Hal_Porter · · Score: 2

      Microsoft have admitted they're not going to develop the platform further

      https://www.cnet.com/news/wind...

      Windows Phone was a major step back from Windows Mobile. Windows Mobile had quite an ecosystem of Win32 apps, a good custom Rom scene and manufacturers like HTC making devices like the HD2.

      So you could buy an HD2, flash a custom Rom and find pretty much any software you wanted - e.g. iGO for navigation, Pleco's Chinese dictionary and so on. Once they announced that Windows Phone wouldn't run any of the old apps most of the ISVs decided to move to Android and/or iOS. And so did almost all the users. Windows Phone never really stood a chance. Still they kept it going for a fair bit of time. Windows Phone 7 was released in November 8, 2010.

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

      And it was only in October 2017 that they announced they were throwing in the towel

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

      In October 2017, it was revealed that Microsoft had discontinued active development of Windows 10 Mobile due to its low market share and the lack of third-party development for the platform, and that the operating system will only receive patches and maintenance releases going forward.

      It's a shame really. If they'd launched a Nokia Communicator type device with an Atom running desktop Windows in 2010 or so, they might have had a chance. Of course now Android and iOS are so dominant it's hard to see that MS could do anything that would dethrone them.

      I think desktop Windows will survive but people that run it use heavy weight applications and need a powerful CPU. A netbook class device isn't really usable these days - I'd say you need an i5 and 13 inch screen minimum. Which means a Nokia Communicator type clamshell with an Atom is not really going to be much use.

      The worst thing is that they fucked up the rather nice UI of Windows 7 trying to get people to write and use Metro apps in order to strengthen Windows Phone. Actually Windows Phone is dead and the clumsy tablet interface put people off Windows 8. I.e. merging mobile and desktop ended up weakening the desktop, not strengthening mobile, which died anyway.

      Though admittedly Windows 10 isn't actually half bad. I think in the long run they'll kill of Metro/UWP/whatever the current name is. Win32/Win64 will survive though.

      --
      echo -e 'global _start\n _start:\n mov eax, 2\n int 80h\n jmp _start' > a.asm; nasm a.asm -f elf; ld a.o -o a;
    7. Re:Old versions? by drinkypoo · · Score: 2

      According to Microsoft's blog post, in addition to the discontinuation of push notifications, live tiles will no longer be updated and the find my phone feature will not work.

      So they're discontinuing a minor feature

      That's not a minor feature. Push notifications are a major feature. So is the ability to find your phone.

      Why would that mean that "the end of Windows Phone" is coming? They're still actively supporting Windows Phone 10.

      You do know that you can still use features like this on Android all the way back to Gingerbread, right? This is pathetic on a level usually reserved for... well, Microsoft. I suppose they should carry on.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  2. Like the death of Windows Mobile by Hal_Porter · · Score: 4, Informative

    Back in 2011 when I had a Windows Mobile phone they sent out this rather sad email

    From: Microsoft
    Date: 9 June 2011 at 04:23
    Subject: Shut-Down of Windows Marketplace for Mobile and My Phone
    To: Hellacious Bastard Porter <hal.b.porter@porterindustries.com> *
     
    Shut-down of Windows Marketplace for Mobile Web Site and My Phone Service Notification
     
    June 8, 2011
    Dear Windows Mobile 6.x customer:
     
    Microsoft will be discontinuing the My Phone service for Windows Mobile 6.x. We will also be discontinuing the Windows Marketplace for Mobile web site. Because you may be affected, please review the details below:
     
    Windows Marketplace for Mobile Web Site To Be Discontinued
     
    The Windows Marketplace for Mobile web site at http://marketplace.windowsphone.com/ will no longer be available starting on July 15, 2011. After July 15, 2011, you will no longer be able to browse, buy or download applications for Windows Mobile 6.x phones via the Windows Marketplace for Mobile web site.
     
    The Windows Marketplace for Mobile service will continue to be available on your phone, however. You will continue to be able to browse, buy and download applications for Windows Mobile 6.x on your phone.
     
    My Phone To Be Discontinued

    They killed those off so they could replace them with the Windows Phone equivalents. Now those are being killed off too. This is Microsoft's way of telling people not to invest in their platforms, technologies or APIs. Mind you I never actually bought anything from the marketplace, Windows Mobile was more of a 'find hacked .cab files and roms on dodgy websites' type of OS, and My Phone was a free cloud backup service.

    * Some names and email addresses have been changed to protect the the guilty.

    --
    echo -e 'global _start\n _start:\n mov eax, 2\n int 80h\n jmp _start' > a.asm; nasm a.asm -f elf; ld a.o -o a;
  3. A win for the trolls by Darkling-MHCN · · Score: 2

    The author of this of this article is either a troll or quite knowledgeable about Windows Phone.

    Windows Phone 7 is 8 years old and 8 is 6 years old and were replaced by Windows 10 three years ago.

    As a Microsoft technologist I can tell you the days of Microsoft providing indefinite support on any platform are over. They have been a lot more aggressive in ending support on dated technology across all their offerings. This seems entirely consistent with their strategy I don't see them exiting the phone market any time soon.