Nokia

Microsoft to Discontinue Nokia Asha, X and Feature Phones

In a series of news, Microsoft’s Stephen Elop has officially announced that Nokia X series devices will be discontinued (we never recommended them anyways)  and the product designs may be relaunched with Windows Phone on the board. Here’s a quote of what Elop said in his email to the employees:

We will be particularly focused on making the market for Windows Phone. In the near term, we plan to drive Windows Phone volume by targeting the more affordable smartphone segments, which are the fastest growing segments of the market, with Lumia. In addition to the portfolio already planned, we plan to deliver additional lower-cost Lumia devices by shifting select future Nokia X designs and products to Windows Phone devices. We expect to make this shift immediately while continuing to sell and support existing Nokia X products.

It’s unknown if the already announced Nokia X2 will ever make way to the market or it will be discontinued straightway. Chances are that it will still be sold, but without any support.

Feature Phone and Asha entering Maintenance Mode

If a Tip received by NPU is true, Microsoft’s Jo Harlow has allegedly sent a memo internally with the following important context:

All the efforts now be focused on Windows Phone and Nokia X, Asha and Feature phones will be put in “maintenance mode” for an eventual shut down of services during the period of next 18 months. There will be no new features or updates for these platforms and developer engagement will be ramped down.

If this memo is true by any means, we’re finally heading towards end of Nokia branded devices. Microsoft initially licensed the Nokia brand for over 10 years for feature phones, but they have already started making plans to discontinue the same. Feature phones and Asha have been the only Nokia devices which were selling in great volumes, but Microsoft seems unsatisfied with the sales.

Nokia MixRadio and Xpress Browser are also supposed to be put into Maintenance Mode receiving no more updates and finally heading towards final shutdown.

So basically there will hardly be any new announcements for the dirt cheap feature phones, mid ranged Asha phones and the Nokia X devices. Lumia will be the only point of focus for the new Microsoft Mobiles division.

Source: NokiaPowerUser

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  • So Nokia has quit the feature phone business and android platform and they (wp)constitute just about 3% in the smartphone platform share. Its a matter of time that Microsoft sell the devices business to some Chinese company as they want to focus on the services part. All good things come to an end. Would still keep my asha 501 till it lasts. The end of the Roman empire! All the best Microsoft!

    • I really couldn’t find out why they even bought Nokia. Because they were planning to make droids and scrap Lumias? Now that Microsoft are killing everything and the factories will probably be closed (Foxconn is making some hardware for them already), did they pay all this amount for the “Lumia” brand name?
      Or maybe it’s just that the views of Satya are different than Ballmer and he never wanted the units of Nokia. Anyways, good game to watch 😛

  • This is terrible news. There are thousands of feature phone users who, like me, are quite comfortable with these so-called intermediate phones and have no interest in the unnecessary frills and constant synchronization of Windows phones (yuck!). And listen, you phone companies: it’s not always about the price. Many of us feature phone users **choose** to use feature phones because we **don’t like** smartphones, not because of the price. I had a fancy Nokia Lumia for a few months, absolutely **hated** it and ended up selling it. I rushed to buy a Nokia Asha before it was too late. I only got a Nokia Asha because I couldn’t get a Nokia Xpress, the **best** phone ever. In the past 14 years, I have owned 5 brands of phones and no phone can surpass my old Nokia Xpress. Phone companies are forcing consumers to buy the latest in fashion, but not necessarily in quality or user-friendliness. This is bad for the consumer and bad for the planet. I’m using my Nokia Asha and will keep my Nokia Xpress for as long as I possibly can. I don’t know what I’ll do when these two phones die on me. I hope it won’t be anytime soon. Maybe someday phone companies will wake up and see that not everybody wants to keep their backs hunched, playing idiotic little electronic games seen in tiny little frames. Bad for the eyes.

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