Microsoft Windows Phone

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Windows Phone
Windows Phone 8 logo and wordmark.svg
developer Microsoft
License (s) Microsoft EULA
First publ. November 8, 2010
Current  version outdated
ancestry Windows CE (7.x), Windows NT
Architecture (s) POOR
www.windowsphone.com

Windows Phone was an operating system for smartphones that was developed by Microsoft . Since the alliance between Microsoft and Nokia announced in February 2011 , it has been the preferred operating system on Nokia smartphones and, to a lesser extent, has also been sold on Samsung , HTC and Huawei phones . Introduced with Windows Phone 7 on 21 October 2010 User Interface "Modern UI" is considered a pioneer of the flat design , the later in many Microsoft products, such as the desktop / tablet operating systems Windows 8 / Windows RT , and then in Windows 10 catchment held. The last smartphone with Windows Phone appeared on the German market in 2014.

The following versions have appeared:

Windows Phone's market share fell from 2.8% in Q4 2014 to 0.4% in Q2 2016, while Android and iOS dominated the mobile operating system market with a 99% share.

On July 11, 2017, Microsoft ended support for Windows Phone 8.1. Shortly before it had been reported that Microsoft was working on a new user interface for mobile devices.

Windows 10 Mobile has been its successor since November 2015 , but has not been further developed in the long term. The functional development was ended in 2017, security updates were made until January 14, 2020. Microsoft recommends switching to an Android or iOS device.

"Hubs", "Live Tiles" and "Rooms"

The Windows Phone interface is divided into so-called "hubs" with a focus on contacts, office, pictures, social networks, music, video and games. Hubs are the basis for other functions that are directly integrated in the operating system. They can be integrated interactively as "live tiles" on the start screen. The representation of a hub changes if there is a status change in the application. In this way, all contacts can be found under the "Contacts" hub. Combine e.g. from Facebook, Outlook, Gmail and Twitter and show status changes directly on the start screen.

Another special feature of the operating system are the rooms that have been integrated since Windows Phone 8. In it, users can exchange messages, pictures, videos, notes and calendars with each other.

Xbox Live and Games

The "Games" hub offers a connection to Xbox Live . So it is possible to get games via the marketplace. These can be fully integrated with the Xbox Live services. This allows players to play against each other across platforms (for example one on an Xbox 360 and the other on a Windows Phone device). The same game can also be played on different devices. For example, you can start a game on your PC, continue playing on your mobile phone and end it on the Xbox.

Windows Phone Live Games appear on Wednesdays and are sometimes subject to certain region or device restrictions. Nokia occasionally releases exclusive Windows Phone games and special offers that are only available on Nokia smartphones.

"Cortana" voice assistant

In December 2014, the personal assistant "Cortana" for Windows Phone 8.1 was released in Germany. Cortana is voice-controlled and can, among other things, create appointments, set the alarm clock, write SMS and answer simple questions to the user. The name "Cortana" comes from the Xbox game series Halo . The search engine Bing is also installed. It is activated with the magnifying glass.

criticism

Global market shares of smartphone operating systems by number of units according to IDC (3rd quarter 2016)
operating system percent
Android
  
 86.8%
Apple iOS
  
 12.5%
Windows Phone
  
 0.3%
Other
  
 0.4%

Windows Phone has been criticized because - like Windows RT - it uses a closed system similar to Apple's iOS for the purchase of apps and other functions . In addition, various functions known from Microsoft Windows Mobile were missing in Windows Phone 7 . In addition, missing updates were criticized because the devices with Windows Phone 7 did not receive an update to Windows Phone 8 .

The lower number of applications for Windows Phone compared to other mobile operating systems was also criticized. According to Microsoft, over 200,000 applications were available for Windows Phone 8 in December 2013. According to statista, there were 340,000 apps in November 2015.

End of support

Initially, Microsoft wanted to end support for all mobile devices with the Windows Phone operating system on December 10, 2019. However, the support was finally discontinued on January 14, 2020 with the last security update. According to its own information, Microsoft intends to discontinue support for Office apps on January 12, 2021.

Web links

Commons : Windows Phone  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ {{{title}}}. Retrieved August 15, 2020 .
  2. ↑ Miser: Miser. May 15, 2020, accessed May 15, 2020 .
  3. ↑ http://www.idc.com/prodserv/smartphone-os-market-share.jsp
  4. ↑ End of Life: Windows Phone is officially dead . heise.de. Retrieved July 12, 2017.
  5. ↑ Brad Sams: Microsoft's Looking to Reboot Mobile with New Software and Hardware. thurrot.com, May 30, 2017, accessed January 4, 2018 .
  6. ↑ Albert Jelica: Microsoft extends Windows 10 Mobile support until January 2020. WindowsArea.de, December 14, 2019, accessed on December 14, 2019 .
  7. ↑ Tobias Rduch: Grace period: Support for Windows 10 Mobile extended to January 2020. WinFuture.de, December 14, 2019, accessed on December 14, 2019 .
  8. ↑ Expiry of support for Windows 10 Mobile - Frequently asked questions (FAQ). Microsoft , January 3, 2020, accessed January 14, 2020 .
  9. ↑ Smartphone OS Market Share, 2016 Q2 . IDC. November 30, 2016. Retrieved November 30, 2016.
  10. ↑ Alex Januschewsky: Windows Phone 7: What's up? What not (yet)? ( Memento of February 10, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) www.mobilitynews.net of October 29, 2010, accessed on December 28, 2012.
  11. ↑ Lutz Herkner: Seven mistakes: The criticism of Windows Phone 7 in detail. Focus-Online, October 30, 2012.
  12. ↑ Benjamin Weiss: No upgrade to Windows Phone 8, Windows Phone 7.8 should fill the gap. engadget , June 20, 2012, accessed November 3, 2013 .
  13. ↑ Microsoft Endlessly Disappoints With 'New' Windows Phone Apps | Gadget Lab | Wired.com
  14. ↑ Windows Phone has an app problem, but don't tell that to Microsoft | News | TechRadar
  15. ^ Nokia frustrated with lack of apps, progress on Windows Phone - latimes.com
  16. ^ Todd Brix: Publish your apps now to take advantage of the biggest holiday season yet. Windows Phone Developer Blog, December 14, 2013.
  17. ↑ Number of apps offered in the top app stores in May 2015 . Statista. Archived from the original on April 9, 2016. Retrieved September 10, 2019.
  18. ↑ a b Windws 10 Mobile End of Support. Microsoft, December 9, 2019, accessed August 30, 2020 .
  19. ↑ Mayank Parmar: Microsoft quietly extends support for Windows 10 Mobile. In: windowslatest.com. Windows Latest, December 19, 2019, accessed August 30, 2020 .