Carphone Warehouse stops selling Lumia, surprises no one

By Richard Devine
last updated

In a move that, frankly, surprises no-one, Britain's largest phone retailer has stopped selling Microsoft Lumia phones.

The folks at Neowin broke the news:

This week, the company ended sales of its last Microsoft Lumia device, leaving just a single Windows 10 Mobile handset available to purchase.

Before everyone cries out in panic, it's important to remember just when the last Lumia phone was launched. I bought one of our in-house Lumia 650 units from my local Carphone Warehouse store in March 2016. 15 months ago. The Lumia 950 was the final phone to continue being sold, and while Neowin reports that some stores will still have physical stock, it's now the end of the road.

While it's sad, yes, the larger context is that this was an easy decision to make. Microsoft has no new Lumia phones to sell people, and from a business perspective, that space in the store can be used by any number of new Android phones that roll out on a monthly basis. It's just business. If Microsoft isn't giving Carphone Warehouse anything to sell, the company cannot sell anything. Even the Microsoft Store in the UK isn't selling Lumia phones anymore.

It's not as if Carphone Warehouse has suddenly decided it just doesn't like Windows phones, either. You can still buy the excellent HP Elite x3 there which, while pricey, is still the absolute best Windows 10 Mobile phone on the market today. The Alcatel Idol 4S still hasn't quite made it to Europe yet.

So, we'll pour one out for our old friend the Lumia, but times have changed, sadly. Stores can't sell what doesn't exist.

Richard Devine
Richard Devine
Managing Editor - Tech, Reviews

Richard Devine is a Managing Editor at Windows Central with over a decade of experience. A former Project Manager and long-term tech addict, he joined Mobile Nations in 2011 and has been found on Android Central and iMore as well as Windows Central. Currently, you'll find him steering the site's coverage of all manner of PC hardware and reviews. Find him on Mastodon at mstdn.social/@richdevine

46 Comments
  • I've not seen the x3 in any CPW stores so far. Was in one within a curry's at the weekend and still had the Lumia display up (surprised it was still there after so long tbh)
  • x3 is unlikely to be marketed in store. It's not really that kind of phone. But yeah, CPW held out longer than even Microsoft, it's not as if they bailed at the first sign of trouble.
  • Ah I thought you meant it was on display in their stores from the article, but I guess you would tend to have to go online to get an X3 from CPW. The 950 spoilt W10M users view on pricing I think, when it was £250 w/ Display Dock and then £50 cashback available too bringing it to £200 - Compared to that the X3 is expensive but I think overall it's about right at around £650 these days for a brand new one for those who are happy with the app selection and OS. Anybody who got one a 950 at the low price got a bargain (if they are a W10M fan and don't rely on a ton of apps) and it makes any other phone with a similar spec camera seem expensive. I'm just keeping my 950 because phones in general are pretty boring and stagnant right now. I don't think there will be anything exciting or game changing until 2018, obviously it's down to personal needs and wants but I can't be bothered wasting my money on ANY phone unless I have to right now.
  • what will you do with a 950 in 2018? If W10M is dead and the ARM version wont support older devices than all you can do with a 950 is taking photos and making calls/basic web browsing.. thats a bit low compared to high price - the 950 is still around 250 and xl 350 in EU. They should lower the prices to minimum, sell what they have and close the doors
  • Obviously I would buy the new device at the time if there is one. I won't guess now but if i can still get outlook Mail & Calendar plus a few other basic apps I'll be fine. Until the 950 stops getting builds I'm not bothered, and I can sort something when the time comes.
  • Thanks Nadella
  • I just don't know why Nadella has been dead set on torpedoing mobile. The article on the 950 prototype just blew me away.
  • lets be hopeful something is in the pipeline for mobile. wishful thinking
  • Because it wouldn't have worked.
  • He's NOT torpedoing anything. He's doing what needs to be done.
  • Guys, where have you all been? Windows 10 Mobile is finished and there will be no more development of the OS. The mobile strategy going forward is full Windows 10 running on mobile on ARM professors which frankly is a much better solution. Lots of apps already in the Windows Store will then work on "phones" like sling TV and others.
  • What would those "lots of apps" be? Windows (not just mobile) is dead as a platform for new development.  It is strictly a legacy OS, at this point.
  • Obviously you are not aware that the newly announced Windows 10 S is not legacy and doesn't run X86 legacy programs and can also run on ARM chips.
  • I'm aware that it runs the same store apps that my W10Pro system does, which is to say, almost none.
  • Windows' Legacy? Place I work has 4xxx employees. We use Visual Studio, 3dsMax, Unreal, Unity, Adobe softwares, Office, Skype, etc, etc... I prefer UWP over *.exe, they have better benefits.
    My parents use UWP too.
  • Visual Studio, 3dsMax, Unreal, Unity, Adobe softwares, Office, Skype, are all legacy programs.  Not one of them was developed in the past 10 years. There's a whole ton of stuff PCs are still good for, but none of them are new.
  • Where have you been? You have NO ******* idea what MS is doing. You just spout hearsay. Go away. Windows mobile is the ONLY OS worth using.
  • Why has creators update still no here for mobile? Why has it been 3 weeks and still no releases that work? Meanwhile on PC we are 3 builds into the fall edition. You're delusional to think that after all these years developers are going to start making apps for Windows 10 Mobile, while they are releasing for full Windows 10 like soundcloud, Spotify, Sling TV, ITunes, etc. Meanwhile MS is investing in mobile on ARM and education with Windows 10 S. The writing is on the wall its not hearsay. Wake up
  • Because it's changing - they are working on it in the background, and will converge the two later..
  • They can't converge. They are 2 different OS. Windows 10 Mobile is dead and I'm happy about that. The sooner full Windows 10 is on mobile devices the better.
  • I think it is sad to be saying goodbye to the Lumia because I first started as a Nokia fan but after using windows 8 and then 10 fell into the windows 10 fan base as I found it so good now I will follow windows 10 onto whatever new devices that are developed regardless of manufacturer provided it is a good quality phone, such as the HP elite. However I look forward to the Microsoft innovations to bring a full version of w10 to all devices
  • Well well, was debating whether to replace my old 925 with a while CPW still had them. Guess I procrastinated too long. I've only ever used Win smartphones but this is going to force the decision for me to jump ship to ios or Android very reluctantly.
  • ' With a 950', I meant to say!
  • If you really want a 950 they're $200 on eBay brand new, more £ on the UK version of eBay, sorry mate.
  • Try their Outlet on eBay under Currys pcworld. If they still have stock 950 was£174 last week when I saw then.
  • Get a HP Elite X3 - totally worth the money and AWESOME.
  • "The Alcatel Idol 4S still hasn't quite made it to Europe yet."   I honestly doubt it will even make it to Europe anymore. I mean, the thing is already pretty old and WP isn't being demanded by anyone anymore so the costs to TCL would probably not justify it.
  • Yeah, Alcatel is fire selling them for $275 on Amazon
  • Top be honest CPW is the last place I would buy a phone from anyway. Too much hassle with local shops. Took my four contracts else where.
  • Many thanks for the eBay tips!
  • I've been the owner of a S7 Edge for about three days now. Coming from a two years old Lumia 930 (Win10). I never imagined the Samsung could be that much better, and I'm just talking about the basic funtionalities: browsing, emails, battery management etc. Impossible to make a list, really. And then when you look at the apps, it feels like the possibilities are limitless. Even the simple Spotify feels 1000x faster. Farewell, Lumia. I'll miss the interface, not the sluggishness.
  • Yep...until you leave...its impossible to actually understand how limited WM10 has become.  I still carry my Idol 4S with me most days, but its very sad.  
  • It's terrible, really. And it really annoys me to have to get acquainted with a different ecosystem (opening a gmail account, working out the google drive, etc.) But in the end, I discover the Google ecosystem and as a customer, I could potentially walk away from the Microsoft environment. The only thing that keeps me is MS Office (and well, the Oculus and gaming in general). What happens if I open google docs? I know Google lobbied app makers against Microsoft, and I think this is really evil. Hard to believe Microsoft couldn't deal better with that situation, though. That must be the biggest shipwreck ever.
  • Limited in what way??????? BULLSHIT. I use my phones (W10) everyday, all day and so does my wife - fantastic. All the apps I could ever need and much more.
  • Another one sees what happend.  awesome.  Its exactly what I said,  yes the base of windows 10 moible is awesome...its just the lack of fluidity, apps and overall speed that did it in.  
  • Isn't Windows 10m better for the 950?
  • My HP is super fast and fluid. Best device ever, so not sue what you're using? 520?
  • The S7 and S7 Edge are stellar devices (and apparently the exception that confirms the rule with Samsung). I've been using the S7 since it launched over a year ago and so far no 2018 flagship has presented a single thing that made me think "No, I need that new one". Which is a first for me, really. If yoy miss WP's UI, try SquareHome 2. It's an expanded Windows Phone launcher that gives you the WP UI without the problems.
  • I'll try that. Is it just a skin for Android/Samsung TouchWiz or does it change functionalities?
  • HP Elite X3 ***** all over the Samsung.
  • 930. Really. Serious. You never tried the HP, 950xl, Idol????
  • I disagree. You could want to buy a 950 or 650, cheap too, and there's nothing wrong with that.
  • This Lumia 650 really looked nice! All it required was a slightly better processor.
  • Bought my mother in law a 950 with extended warranty last year fit Mother's Day. It's been nothing but problems since the creators update, so today she returned it--after being given three problematic returns in a row over the last month--and fit a full refund. Now she's on a galaxy s7 and is happier than age been with Windows mobile since, well, ever.
  • **** them **** all who switch over and fall the trick they are trying to pull
  • How is that news? It's not even produced anymore. Why would they sell it? is a better question. People need to move the **** on and get the HP Elite X3 as 950 is just not available now. HP phone is phenomenal. I have not regretted getting it at all, and it is totally worth the money. Also, when the Alcatel gets to Europe it is also totally worth getting.