A Microsoft support document reveals that Windows Phone 8 support will end in July 2014, meaning it is already past its ‘lifecycle start date’.
So is this a good sign or a bad sign for Windows Phone 8? Well, some may be having second thoughts on buying a Windows 8 smartphone knowing that they will have to undergo an OS upgrade or face using a handset that’s not supported half way through their contract.
This could be taken as a sign that the firm is backing away from mobile phones to focus on its Surface tablet, although this could actually be a sign of ongoing support for the mobile OS.
With support ending in just 16 months, Microsoft could be ready to unveil a newer version pretty soon. Increasing its OS releases to a near-annual schedule would put it at a similar pace to the likes of Apple, and a little ahead of major Android releases. If this is the case, Microsoft could be sending out a message to its competitors that it’s ready to start running a little faster in the OS race.