Microsoft's next attempt at Windows mobile won't support Silverlight apps

You're definitely a potato.

Seriously? The vast majority of WP users are using 8.1. That means no app they are currently using will work on the new phones unless the developer already created a W10 version, which most have not and will not after these endless restarts.

Another reboot of Windows Phone? I see another epic fail. They never learn. Sad.

I think it's not a reboot, because UWP apps are supported for like two years now, and MS isn't introducing a whole new app model as the only way of making apps. And yeah, as others said, if they want to make a foldable 3in1 device, they need apps that scale well. UWP apps do, and Silverlight apps don't.

You're definitely a potato.

No time, go away then...

If developers haven't updated already though, why will they now? How is this tactic actually going to change anything?

Spot on.

Now it's all in. You either follow or get left behind. This is the OS for the future, not the past. And even if they don't follow, not much will change. Btw Apple is doing the same stuff. You get a similar pop-up saying old 32bit apps will no longer work. Once iOS 11 comes out it's done. Ao deva either update their apps, or are left behind.

There is no left behind, people have other options. Also this only affects mobile, not desktops. I just saw the second part of your comment, updating an app to 64 bit is not the same as a design language being discontinued. I can understand why they are doing this, hell everyone did it with Flash too. I just don't think segmenting Windows Mobile even further is the right move. Microsoft is all about backwards compatibility in the Desktop and console markets, why not mobile?

Apple, people who use Apple are too dumb to even understand how to use apps. https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/06/02/technology/apple-iphone-developer-...

Haha I just read it this one was so funny

This should eliminate 70 or 80 percent of the apps that are left in the store. That should make lots of people happy. Especially developers.

Don't worry, it will have the same, if not worse, adoption rate of W10M has currently.

Hahaha. I saw what you did there.
The 80% app left will be pulled. By then, the problem will be *windows phone store not supported* rather than *Silverlight apps not supported*. By that time, even symbian 3v2 will have more apps lying around than win10mobile.

I'm really worried about the only Grindr option in the Windows Store not working in future phones, Meet'm is also Silverlight and has been recently updated.

Could be devs havent updated yet because there was no plan in sight ...but have already begun work knowing MS's plans which we dont know of due to NDA's. Could be why there is currently a UWP Spotify app for the Windows Store etc. I think Microsoft does have something up Its sleeve and in order to "start over," they wouldnt take another risk with thr current state of WM ..so there surely is a plan in place and their "starting over" is already in motion because I personally believe the OS for mobile will in fact be Windows 10 S + Continuum. The interface will also be a lot more trendy and clean through fluent language/design of the OS, which should go well with the general population and students (of which MS is clearly targeting).

Agreed. You also get the advantage of being able to remove some stuff from Windows itself, because you no longer need to support Silverlight - how much stuff, I don't know, but it would take up less space and more importantly, there is less legacy code for you to maintain going forward. By that I mean, every time you want to make changes to the way the OS handles UI, or anything else, really, you no longer need to consider what those would mean to Silverlight apps. I think this could potentially speed up development of W10M as well as perhaps speed up the performance of the OS itself. Now, they "just" need developers to jump onboard with UWP...

But older apps are better than without app because no chance more new apps. Developers not interested in Windows Phone 📱. Microsoft also. Only Windows Phone fans are remaining.

Here here....

Silverlight apps launch faster than w10 apps, especially without the stupid splash screen. Many of us remember the instant app launches of long ago, with very minimal hardware.

I really hope they will get get rid of old Silverlights apps forever.
They are a cancer for Windows Store and user experience.

I can't say I agree. I just started using WhatsApp (just for a couple weeks while familky is traveling out of the country), and the thing has given me 0 troubles. It has been very quick to open and perfectly functional. IDK which others are these types of legacy apps, but the one I know about (WhatsApp) has been as good and stable as anything that comes built into the OS, including the shoddy Groove Music that likes to stop pushing sound randomly after the last update I got.

I don't really think it's a stupid move. Microsoft, for a long time has been trying to attract developers to build apps for Windows platform (and most of em doesn't even use Windows 10 API). The only problem that I've found, is Microsoft is not strict about their design system.

nobody uses that, Silverlight was Microsoft attempt at flash, shouldn't have every existed in the first place, switch to standards.  The official language for Android development is Java. Large parts of Android are written in Java and its APIsare designed to be called primarily from Java. That said, it is possible to develop C and C++ apps using the Android Native Development Kit (NDK), however it isn't something that Google promotes. Objective-C Objective-C. Objective-C is the iOS standard, considered the "correct" language, according to Stephen Kaliski, who works for NYC-based start-up Poptip. The iPhone — and all iOS programming for that matter — is written in Objective-C through Apple's Xcode integrated development environment (IDE) Both could run emulated or even native in windows However, to learn and develop in Objective-C, you are not obliged to procure a Macintosh. Actually, there is a free implementation of OpenStep framework (developed by Apple) called GNUstep, which is, multiplatform and works under GNU/Linux as well as Microsoft Windows. that just an example im not a programmer but microsoft before it went bipolar said they were looking to make windows the best and safest andriod app runner, before they changed their minds , AGAIN!!!!

From what I've heard, Objective C/C++ is effectively dead, and everything is now done in Swift for iOS.

This is one of the best decisions Microsoft could have possibly made. I don't want my future Windows phone being held back by lazy developers who won't switch to UWP.

But why would developers bother making apps for UWP if all Microsoft does is shelve their systems and force developers to remake their apps every few years?

Excellent comment

Forced to remake their apps every few years??? Many x86 apps that are 20 years old can still run on Windows 10 PCs.

Ok, add "on mobiles".

He's talking about phones.

Do they really have to remake them? Don't they have a program to convert the apps to appx?

From what I can tell from the limited knowledge I have, I don't actually think it's that simple.

Go watch BUILD 2017. About the tools to convert apps.

Sin Ogaris... I develop for the Windows platform.  And, when it comes to Silverlight, most Windows developers I know have seen the writing on the wall, as I have for years.  Within 2-4 years of its release, you could tell that while Silverlight certainly served as an inspiration for where some aspects of the UX should be headed, and the sort of UI tools developers should have at their disposal, it was not going to become an industry standard and in relatively short order was eclipsed by HTML 5 on the web, updates to XAML on the PC/Windows Phone, more recently Xamarian, etc.  In a round about way, the death of Flash also signaled the eventual death of Silverlight, as it meant more browsers were steering away from the idea of allowing such plugins to be used in their browsers.  At this point, it makes almost no sense to continue to support and prop up the use of Silverlight, especially as the pool of developers still actively using it continues to dry up.

Like I said, I do understand why they are doing this, I mean, they moved away from Silverlight online awhile back, it just feels like their strategies for mobile are the polar opposite of the rest of their divisions. And it just really doesn't seem like developers feel incentivised to continue working on the mobile platform. What is it that keeps you working on Windows Mobile is it because you are a fan of the OS? And, conversely, if you weren't a Windows Phone user would you, objectively, say that you would still be developing for Windows Phone? Serious questions by the way, it would be great to hear from someone actually working with the platform.

Facebook told us they where all in with Windows 10. So let them build a true UWA for Windows 10. If you could use WhatsApp on a PC using when you match your Microsoft account to the mobile phone (number) you use for WhatsApp would be huge!

oh so this will force developers to switch to UWP after years of neglect by MS?

Force? Only if they are inclined to continue investing their time and money in the Windows platform. The fact that they haven't so far (and recently I haven't seen Microsoft make any compelling case for them to start doing so) makes me think the majority will just let their Silverlight apps die and move on to greener pastures.

Smart active developers already switched, the Silverlight apps everyone's up in arms over are dead wood apps that haven't been updated in years.

I don't really see Microsoft having a leverage over developers with existing Silverlight apps. And I don't think it matters if the now existing W10M loses Silverlight ability or the new chapter of W10 on phones doesn't support Silverlight. There are still more WP8/8.1 users than there are W10M users. So the benefit for a mainly mobile app to change to UWP is not as big as staying on Silverlight. And if the Silverlight disability is only on newer hardware with even less users, the leverage is even smaller.
You and I may prefer UWP apps. But why should a developer change from Silverlight to UWP if they don't want their app to run on PCs?

You dont look at this from the right angle. MS realises they do not have weight in tur mobile phone area, so they focus their efforts where they are heavy, where they have alot of users, and thus potential MS store customers. Then announced having several OEMs on board making all kind of mobile touch computers, now including ARM based units and AR devices that are essentially MS devices. Lots of customers, lots of available devices, and now a solid commitment and a plan on MS side, if devs. and customers continue taking the bait like they have begun. Then, suddenly, with an existing user base on the platform using MS Store, making a new phone suddenly becomes an option. Either an Windows 10 mobile device, or an W10 for ARM with CShell device. Either way, focusing on W8.x legacy support is not worth spending resources in my opinion, as the customer base MS need to get will be on their UWP platform, and MS relies on developers finding potential value in developing UWP apps for all the broad W10 platform.        

But that would be PCs more than phones. Some developers like from WhatsApp for example don't want their apps running on a computer. They only let it run on phones. I am aware, that UWP would be no hindrance in that aspect, but in that moment my argument with the user base comes in to play...

If they think, their app dont want to run on pc.. Then why did they create a win32app for pc ??

This is not a standalone app. It can only synchronize with WhatsApp on a phone. All the messaging goes through the phone still. The client for PC just fetches the messages and lets you answer. You can't make phone calls, you can only send text messages or files.

This is what Microsoft wants to change. Their strategy, synchronizing Mobile and PC. Right now, both WhatsApp on desktop and mobile use different code. UWP will make them became one code. And that will ease developers when they want to update their apps, because of one coding.

I know that this is Microsoft's goal. But the developers of WhatsApp don't seem to want WhatsApp to be able to run on a PC as a standalone app.

Microsoft wants to change that, and we will see if WhatsApp will agree with it, Microsoft needs very good reason to convince WhatsApp to follow Microsoft strategy.

And yet me and all my contacts that have a desk job use the web app ten times more than the phone over the week.... If most apps are not used on PC it's because they simply don't exist... But while my phone is a great solution on the go... I'm more often at a desk or will be using windows 10 arm on a tablet if given the choice than my phone even if it's phablet... SoI think phone app devs are hugely missing an opportunity here... About 90% of the 200 apps I currently have on my phone... Would see way more usage from me and many of my friends if they were UWP or simply on PC

It's the same for me. I probably use the desktop client for WhatsApp more than I use the app on my phone... Don't get me wrong: I'm all for a UWP version of WhatsApp and all the other apps and programmes I'm using. The developers of WhatsApp just haven't done things that would make me think that they will make a UWP and make their service available on pc without using a phone. And because they concentrate on phone, it wouldn't make sense to make a UWA because a majority of phones running any version of Windows couldn't use it.

And what if this "lazy developer" then decides not to develop a new, non-Silverlight app? Wouldn't your Windows phone experience be held back by lack of the specific app as well (WhatsApp for example)?

Let me remind you that the "lazy" developers you talk about do what they do because they love the platform and as a hobby. The Windows platform has never generated significant revenue and despite people commenting on the lack of apps the platform has always punched way above its weight in terms of apps. If the amount of apps were proportional to the amount of users I think we would have like half the apps we had at the height of WP popularity. I am not saying that removing Silverlight is not justified but not acknowledging the damage and blaming the devs is absurd.

"Lazy developers"? Seriously Zac? I don't think those apps weren't updated because the developers are "lazy".

As WP developer, I don't think lazy is not the right word.
Most dev that don't update their apps to UWP maybe because: Some API or UI Control doesn't exist in UWP (e.g. if dev using Telerik Image Editor, there's yet no Image Editor for their UWP suite). Majority of Silverlight apps is design for only Phone, even though UWP apps doesn't have to be available for Desktop, but porting Silverlight apps just for Phone is not worth the efforts.
And for supporting Desktop they must re-design they apps to adapt various screen size, which I can tell you it's more work than just porting Silverlight code. They leave Windows Store for Google Store or App Store because Windows Phone has very small user base and small user base is equals to less money.
Or they leave Windows Store because MS seems doesn't care about developer any more. But as developer I support MS decision to drop support for Silverlight apps.

@Zac dude are you out of your mind! you are actually blaming developers not making apps or switching to UWP!? Blame microsoft devs/engineers for doing a ****** job with W10M. Iit costs lot of money to make/maintain apps and no devs gonna waste their time updating or makign apps for W10M if microsoft is not doing much to sell thier product.

Facebook is using their iOS app. What's stoping others from doing the same?

"lazy" developers? "Cheap" windows phone consumers don't deserve the effort. I have an app that hit 250,000 downloads. Total made from that app was $4000. Half the reviews were people asking for it to be free. Consumers stop being ungrateful and maybe Devs won't be lazy.

I really like BookViser app. One of the best reading app that deserves more credit.

This is naturally their next step, nothing wrong with it. Thus is the next iteration. BUT, the only thing is whether they are going to release that next version before the ecosystem is ready. As we can see, it won't be ready, but it can still turn out to be good. It all depends of Microsoft.

Google Translate fail.

yes right.. the consumers are going to back yet another radical os change from MS. lol

So, Microsoft will be doing the EXACT same thing again and forcing developers to rewrite their apps for phone. Yeah, because that has worked out so well for them in the past.

Lol, if I was a dev, I would stay away from WP as much as I could at this point

You'll lose then. There is no more windows phone it is only windows 10, the same OS on all form factor

But it isn't the same OS, feature wise they are very different, just because the underlining stuff is the same hasn't meant a thing.

The underlying stuff is not same. It's just a marketing strategy by MS, saying that it's one OS. Even the kernel has to be recompiled for the different architectures. The only thing that comes close to being same is the UWP app platform and runtime. For the remaining parts of the OS, even if they might have some common source code, the compiled OS is vastly different across different processor architectures.

See, I always assumed this was the case, but I really didn't know enough about it to comment. Thanks for the info.

I on the other hand plan to mainly focus on UWP development once I get some free time.

I don't think it's for phones per se, I believe it's one app that runs on all devices. If Windows 10 S is the new mobile OS to be used rmr we already use apps on our phones from the windows store already so having devs create an app UWP based would be beneficial to all. Right now we have WhatsApp on our phones and WhatsApp web on our laptops and PCs, so if the devs created WhatsApp that was for the windows store that can be installed on PC and at same time on phones we'd benefit period. Right now Facebook app on my PC is updated practically every week compared to my mobile that's been waiting months for one sniff. Imagine getting updates for apps the same time as the PC and with the same frequency. Having UWP based apps means more can be done to them giving us users higher quality UI experiences and the willingness to buy and donate would be higher to encourage app development.

If it is Windows 10S, then why do they have to create a new platform? They already have it. Sounds like this is something different from all the rumors.

I think i will be over windows phone and move to a more secure and understanding platform like android or ios

Secure?

I don't think he means secure in the way that you think he does.

Sarcasm, right? 

Secure and Android do not belong in th same comment!!!!

http://www.zdnet.com/article/the-worlds-most-secure-smartphones-and-why-... The most secure phones are running Android. If security is very important, Android powers the best choices.

I don't 'buy' it. These so-called secure Android phones might only be such because they run obscure versions, not because of some ingenious hardening. For the average user of typical mass produced elite devices, I'd not go near an Android one. (And I won't put any Google app on my iPhone.)

Name an obscure version of Android! Lol. Hardening is exactly what they did. Android is open source. They are able to modify it as they see fit. How secure is your iPhone? Very common hardware and software that has had known exploits in the past. If you are that worried about security, then iPhone might not be a great choice.

The article you linked to mentioned different variants. You take their 'hardened' phones to be technilogical genius. Capable people work for all of these companies. Sooner or later, flaws are discovered in all of them. That there are so few of these 'hardened' phones probably protects them more than engineering wizardry.  I don't expect any device will be completely secure, but I'll take an iPhone or Windows phone over any Android device. 

If security is that important to you, your best choices are running Android. Whatever the reason, the fact remains that all iOS and Windows phones are less secure than some Android phones.

Pardon me if I chuckle. You cited an article that mentions secure phones, the cheapest of which is three grand. 

Blackberry runs Android for the casual security concerned. For the paranoid people there are Blackphones and their ilk. These outdated ideas of Android four years ago are just as irrelevant as Windows Mobile OS.

Using Android as an example for more secure is a sign of lacking insight

Again, wrong meaning of secure. Well, technically the right meaning, but wrong context.

Omg....the only secure thing about windows will be 10s but after 2 weeks they will upgrade to pro and floodgates of viruses will open....and my God andriod has now been around for what like 10 years....really foolish if you think theres been more virusus on andriod vrs Microsoft just foolish

Sorry but i rather have someone looking at my recent views or looking at things ive bought to try to sell me something then my bank account drained or my comp being held up for a ransom. Were way down the rabbit hole to go back and currently ios and Android are safer then Microsoft just facts.

Hmm... You do know Windows is very secure nowadays?

Microsoft need to bring a new handset into the market very soon.📱📱 I'm still loyal windows phone platform user n hope they will in summer/autumn 2017 now.🤞🏻🤙🏻

Microsoft need to bring a new handset into the market very soon.📱📱 I'm still loyal windows phone platform user n hope they will in summer/autumn 2017 now.🤞🏻🤙🏻

I never thought that microsoft's next attempt at mobile would have anything to do with the present hardware.. To have any chance of success it will have to through off all the shakles of the past, which most of the public want nothing to do with.....

Hardware? Sure. But hardware has never been the problem, it's the software and surrounding ecosystem. And in 2017 this problem is bigger then ever with no signs of improving.

Yes, agree.. What I meant was the article says that they can't see a new mobile OS working with the existing mobile hardware.. I agree and have to accept that my 950xl and 730 will be totally unsupported soon... I'm not happy but this is the way Microsoft is... My 730 funny enough is running much better than the 950 on CU, but is unsupported...

How long, in your opinion, should Microsoft support phone hardware with updates?  10 years??  People on the majority upgrade their phone every 2 years... some every year, and then there are the rest in a small group that hang on to phones until they die.

My 730 is old, I just use it on insiders but my main 950xl is only 9 months old and expect the software to be supported some time more.. The CU has made it far more unstable than before despite 2 hard resets and using the wdrt.. Not too great and far from 2 years..

But upgrading a phone shouldn't mean having to find all your apps again and potentially not having access to all the apps you were previously using.

Phones aren't going to be updated. It is a reboot. You will need to buy new hardware.

Agreed, absolutely.. But they should still provide a decent platform for a while longer...

I mean upgrading, as in getting a new model. As it stands you upgrade from say, a 640 to a 950, you can download all your settings and apps and it's all awesome. With the next device, if this does come into play, you will find that you won't be downloading all your apps again, you'll have to go hunt them down in the store again, if they are available at all.

I bet this won't be marketed as a Windows device. If it isn't a true reboot with new marketing and a totally new strategy, it is doomed to failure. If this has the word "Windows" anywhere near it, it is doomed. Like the article said yesterday, they need to appear cool in order to reach consumers. The Windows brand is the exact opposite of cool.

Yeah... no way they could ever sell half a billion Windows devices. What a preposterous idea. 

We'll have to wait and see.. I suspect the new platform will be tied to the store as things are now but many of the old apps, certainty Silverlight ones will be labelled "will not work on this device".. That's fine.. I just hope the new system and hardware are worth all this....

Nah, Thurrot said earliest next year sometime. Possibly holiday if I'm not mistaken. Per the source it's just prototype and it could be canned.

surface laptop giveaway???when they gonna announce the winner?

So how many big named apps are we looking at here

I would be pretty p***ed off if I no longer had WhatsApp (and other big apps) because they didn't approach the developers and worked with them to have an alternative on day 1, ready to move to. That would definitely mean jumping ship ☹ Microsoft doesn't understand, they don't have the same pulling power as Android or iOS to make developers work around the clock to support their new requirements. Just because Windows is present on most PC's, and therefore developers should/need to cater to their requirements, doesn't mean they can pull the same stunt on Mobile.

What's wrong with web apps? They often run better than the dedicated apps, Facebook being a prime example...

Can't do some things in web apps. Can't use camera for Bank deposits. Also web apps are often clunky and slow. Just look at CNBC on the web and then look at their Android app. They have similar functionality. Like night and day for speed and smoothness.

Web Apps aren't apps. They never were and never will be. They're a poor substitute that only get used on this platform to try fill the gaps in the app store. The

Web apps won't but progressive web apps definitely will.

Strange... I've always thought apps was a poor solution to solve the problem of mobile browsers being horrible in the past since they interface with web services.

WhatsApp doesn't have a standalone web app. And at least in Europe pretty much everyone uses WhatsApp...

Pretty much everyone I know in USA uses Telegram

I am aware that WhatsApp isn't very wide spread in the USA. But it is in Europe, as I mentioned. And since pretty much everyone of my friends uses it and has group chats in it, it would be ridiculous to make them change their behaviour in favor of me, because I can't use that one app anymore... :/

Facebook does work way better on website than the actual app imo.

only because they prefer to update the PC app version instead

The Facebook website is the only decent means of using Facebook, everything else is absolute crud in comparison.

They should just turn Windows Phone into a feature phone OS and give it away for free, at least that way it lives on and doesn't have any issues with apps until MS way down the road actually figures out some kind of strategy, not repeating itself over and over.

Windows Mobile OS is already free to OEMs.

I can live without uwp Spotify, but not without uwp whatsapp

Yep, if they decide to shoot whatsapp in the foot, they can say goodbye to most of the people who use this platform.

I deleted WhatsApp about a week ago. I just couldn't wait to do it. Once I made my mom switch to Skype, it was gone in a matter of seconds. Good riddance. It was definitely the worst app on my phone.

Viber is great replacement for WhatsApp. It is even better with a lots of cool stickers.

Thumbs up! Skype is better. I don't know why so many people use WhatsApp. Skype is almost as good as the old MSN Messenger. How did we go from MSN Messenger to WhatsApp? Sigh. 

You really don't get why people use WhatsApp, or were you just being facetious?

In your opinion in mine telegram is much better, and secure

I don't think anyone uses Telegram outside the US. The rest of the world uses WhatsApp especially here in Europe. It's the go to cross platform app for messaging and video calls. Even calls in fact. Skype doesn't even come close

Me and my friends all use Telegram here in Italy, and I've definitely saw people using it around. It's not US only

Very true

My next Windows phone, if any, will be a phablet (preferably with adjustable display size) running full W10, and getting by mainly with web apps. Assuming such a device is under development, I'm fine with this decision.

I suppose this popup has nothing to do with the Silverlight apps from the store. It would have been kind of stupid to let the user download the app from the store and than show the warning at launch. There are already some apps in the Store that cannot be run on the phone. In that case, the Store tells you "This app can't be run on that hardware", instead of showing the download button. So I suppose that this popup is made for Edge, to notify the user that the page he is visiting contains Silverlight content, that cannot be shown due to hardware limitations.

Nah, I'm guessing sideloaded apps. I don't think Edge supports Silverlight even on the desktop.

I take it once they start making windows 10 on ARM they can if they want make a 6" version and it can be a phone and at the same time be a full pc?

Exactly! And that 6" (and even 5.2") will run Windows 10 UWP in phone mode, but will not run older Silverlight apps. Makes perfect sense. Making full Windows 10 PCs with Windows 10 on ARM that will fit in your pocket and have telephony capabilities would be quite worth having to get rid of a few of those old Silverlight apps to me. Personally, I'd love to have the 7" version as a phone. That way, I can carry my small foldable Bluetooth keyboard in my pack, and whip it out and use it full PC style when I want, and use either a wired headset or Bluetooth headset for phone calls. I never put a phone to my hear anyway. 7" is as big as I can handle and still hold it in one hand.

Bueno, ya hace bastante que están dejando eso de lado. He incluso han tardado en hacerlo.

A bit of a contradiction when you make a new OS that no longer supports these apps, yet they are also working on W10ARM which will support Win32 apps. It sends mixed messages. But my main issue is that we are yet again going to go through another mobile Reboot. A reboot that not only will end up with fewer available apps than what we currently have, but it will be yet another OS for mobile that is going to leave many (everybody) in the dust as it will no doubt not work on any current device. And how will they test this OS before they release it to the public? Normally they would have a lot of internal testers, but didn't they lay a bunch of people off for exchange of insiders giving feedback? Now how will insiders give them feedback when they have no devices to test on? I will be interested to see what this new OS will be like, but after going through constant reboots since WP7 and having several devices left behind that were only in my hands for around a year each time, and considering the even fewer apps that will be available for this new OS + the less resources MS has with burned insiders to give feedback on, I feel this will end up worse than ever before.

That is logical because the next phone type device will run full Windows 10 on ARM not Windows 10 Mobile.

Finally, someone who gets it.

Exactly.. And probably through cshell. Though im still wondering what their tactic on win32 on too small screens will be. I guess they could just sent a message every time you try to open a win32 app saying " Connect to a screen larger than 8" to open legacy win32 apps" or something alike. Wouldn't be too hard to implement and that in combination with continuum

:)))) say goodbye to the remaining..10 apps :)))

There are 650.000 apps in the store.

and 90 percent of them are pure sewage....first party apps are whats needed...not third party hack job apps!

Lol... First party apps... No thanks. I prefer apps that are intuitive and not just made because it needs to exist.

Another REBOOT? Seriously, Microsoft should stop taking developers for granted. And what wrong with W10M? It runs UWP apps right?

Yea but WhatsApp is currently not UWP, so they'll be looking to boot out all the old Windows 8 compatible apps

WhatsApp is a terrible developer that doesn't use Microsoft's latest tools to build an app for 2017 and beyond. That about right?

It is WhatsApp's fault that Microsoft didn't create a compelling platform? Any blame goes only to Microsoft. WhatsApp is just following the users.

Well good riddance, ill just put a status on whatsapp to talk yo me on telegram XD

I'm all for Skype.

I'm just glad that there is finally tangible evidence that there is a new phone being developed.

Damn, most of my Xbox games will be lost now....also any hint on WhatsApp devs doing something about this? Any way to hint them?

Well Ms has worked closely with Whatsapp in past, I'm sure whatsapp UWP is in works.

Will be sweet to use WhatsApp in continuum mode 😊

Of course 😊 YEP

I've definitely been focusing on UWP apps and leaving behind the ones that are 8.1 where a replacement exists

This talks about Silverlight apps, but there's also WinRT 8.1 apps. They could possibly continue to work as they don't use silverlight at all. Are we sure Slack is even a Silverlight app? Looks like WhatsApp is silverlight from the screenshots but not all aps before UWP are Silverlight

Time will tell, but MS had better have something spectacular up their sleeve to win over developers, OEMs, distributors, retail and phone companies. And lets nor forget the burned former loyal windows phone and windows mobile users. Anyone who gets on board runs the risk of being abandoned half a year later. I don't know if they still have enough good will left to make this work. Advise to MS: Don't use the words Microsoft or windows in the name of your new OS. People associate that with their pre-apple windows pc that worked like crap.

Personally I think once they've got all their ducks in a row, and all the constituent parts in place (Windows on Arm, CShell, a new mobile play, XBox, IoT etc) they should brand the eventual 'all encompassing' version of Windows "Microsoft Continuum" (with 'Microsoft' being as silent as possible), they can relegate the word 'Windows' into the features/compatibility lists.

Lol

You listed two options for Whatsapp in the article. There is a third - WhatsApp simply abandons Microsoft. I do not have to tell how major of a blow that would be for MS outside of the US. What truly concerns me is that this means the few apps that I'm using that haven't seen an update for months will no longer be available. My needs on the platform are a few, yet somehow the number of apps keeps shrinking. Medical apps for example. I used to use Mediscape before it was removed from the store, then I uses Drugscape, which has stopped downloading reference data. At the moment there is no medical reference app. The banking app I used, FNB, was working fine until March when my bank decided to break it. Now its a web wrapper more or less. They don't seem interested in fixing it.
I won't say much on Facebook and their Osmeta ports. My point is that through this reboot Microsoft is killing off what little apps we have left. And the past five years have done little to bring developers onto the platform.
Windows Mobile is the dodo of smartphones.

When it comes to science related apps on the store, W10M SUCKS big time. I've felt that since 2010.

So Microsoft should keep supporting old nasty tools for lazy developers who CBA to update? We're not talking one guy in his basement here. We're talking a FACEBOOK owned application. Same with Slack, this isn't a small developer we're talking about. How come so many excellent apps from small, independent developers come along with the best UWP has to offer yet the big guys just sit on their thumbs doing nothing? Don't excuse lazy developers who should be setting the example. It's them not giving you the best experience.

Do you seriously believe yourself? Are you blaming developers like Facebook for not supporting Microsoft platforms enough? By definition it is always the other way around. Developers are free to choose which platforms they support. If Microsoft can't convince them to do so, or if they have disappointed developers too much in the past, it is always Microsoft's fault. By definition. You cannot possible argue about this.

Thing is, Facebook doesn't support anything properly. They spat out a bloated iOS port converted using Osmeta and haven't updated it since. Facebook app is a 292 meg download, and Messenger is 229 meg. This is a pisstake! Most games aren't even half the size. On top of that, both have to be installed in the internal storage. They take ages to load, perform atrociously slowly, tend to crash and still lack Android features like calling people. And iOS apps are just as bloated. Exactly the same download sizes, cos it's a port, except with weekly updates that the users report don't introduce anything. If mobile Edge supported web notifications, I'd ditch this bloated piece of garbage to hell without thinking twice, and just use the web version. It's high time another platform comes out and starts taking away FB users! What I'm trying to say, what difference does it make if you have no app, or have an app that is so bad you're better off using the web version anyway? Either way you still end up using the web version. Certainly not gonna pat Facebook on the back for releasing this sort of crap and not update it.

I guess they are sick of having to update their apps every few years, and not just minor updates either, complete overhauls. And then obviously having to deal with a whole host of new problems that then come with the overhauls, fixing bugs they probably already fixed the last time on the previous system.

You call Microsoft's​ tool nasty then blame developers for not using tools from Microsoft? Maybe you should be blaming Microsoft for creating nasty tools and losing their user base. Scapegoating developers is poor form. Everything happening to Windows phone is solely on Microsoft.

Lazy devs? Pfff typical fanboy. You, other desperate fanboys and this pathetic company called Microshit keep saying this...but the devs don't give a damn about you and this joke of a platform. Calling names is what you fanboys know these days. I would never develop an app for this pathetic platform as long as Microsoon keeps kicking users and devs in their @$$ over and over again. It's time devs give a full blow in the face at MS!

Well said Ricardo ;)

Aaand... Why will we be left behind, again?! I'm just curious, what a lie will we hear this time...

forces developers to update their apps or be left behind

"Be left behind", is this a joke? Developers wont be missing anything. if the current 500millions PCs have not yet attracted devs to UWP then the 500million + 10 devices wont matter. Question is, Is MS ready to put its weight and money behind it?

Windows on ARM laptops and hybrids are a more compelling reason for mobility UWP apps on release than anything else in the works or existing at present- people do buy windows tablets and notebooks, and they will buy arm versions, and they come with mobility built in. We don't know if andromeda will be compelling or not, we know little about it, or how it will be market. But we know for a fact people will buy laptops with LTE, GPS and calling when they are available. 

Sorry, I just had a mistakes comment in columns

Andromeda? its an OS by Google...

Microsoft is using the same name for their project.

Microsoft has sucks big money 💵

That was exactly what I was thinking.. Who will be left behind? Developers or Microsoft? Obviously it's Microsoft & few wp fans. Bad handling of mobile from Microsoft.

Microsoft: End of life for Silverlight, 2021. Just kidding! Gone from phone, gone from Visual Studio 2017. Gone from Edge.

Good decision in the long run. Yeah it would be a bummer to loose some older Silverlight apps but if my phone dies halfway through the day because of bad coding (looking at you, Whatsapp) then people are easy to blame the OS instead of anything else it seems. I'll be honest to say I have doubts how this will pan out. If WA doesn't make a UWP version then I'm forced to change os (literally forced, my job requires me to have WA).    

Dropping Silverlight is not a solution for avoiding badly coded apps. You can just as easily make a bad UWP app that will drain your battery in no time.

Wow... You mean WhatsApp drains battery?

I think this decision should be made when Microsoft launches windows 10 mobile, its late but not too late

"update their apps or be left behind" Yeaaaah, Rrrrright! The only thing getting left behind here is Windows Mobile (I say this as someone who is still with Windows Phone/Mobile since the Windows Mobile 6.5 days). If MS doesn't work closely with the big devs such as Facebook at least, their Windows Mobile reboot is going to be deader than dead which is gonna make me sad because I'm holding unto my windows phone for as long as I can before I'm forced to switch to Android which I never liked.

MS has 1.5% shares in facebook. 

WhatsApp has been pretty loyal to Windows this far so I'm sure they'll make the change. If not I'll be gone as WhatsApp is a critical app for me and most people in Europe. Sms is old school here

Can we please stop implying that andromeda a completely new physical form factor is replacing slabs overnight - the new product is a new catergory its not "the next attempt at windows phone". Its "a new kind of phone (period)". If its an attempt at anything, it's attempt, it's an attempt at disrupting phone design. I don't think it's even intended to replace the slab, only diversify design in the market, like hybird tablets. 

As a Windows 10 Mobile user, I have two choices: 1/ Microsoft abandon the platform and I get to use What's App for a year or so with no updates
2/ Microsoft develop a new platform that doesn't pull the legacy stuff along, and it's up to the app dev's to support the desktop and mobile platforms. I'll go for two thanks. Windows Mobile has a low user base compared to other platforms. Even if all it's users moved to Android / iOS for a couple of years, then came back - it would be better to have a new platform that only supports newer API, integrates between desktop and mobile and can make use of low power features etc. In the meantime, the current platform will allow the legacy Silverlight platform to continue to run in maintenance mode, some dev's will update to UWP (as it will work on current platform and new platform) and we get to move forward. I'm sure Microsoft will be able to work with Facebook / What's App and all the other premium app builders to get a UWP version out that will support current and future builds. If Microsoft can show there is a future to the UWP platform on mobile, then that may allay any doubts the dev's currently have.

no-one should be developing for windows "phone" or "mobile" anymore. Just develop for windows and make sure your apps support the different screen sizes of devices (no matter if you call it a phone, a tablet or a laptop or PC or game console) Microsoft offers excellent tools and guidelines to make sure your apps adapt to every form factor...

Thus creating a huge amount of extra work for next to no gain. Especially since any developer that actually wants money for their hard work would get lynched by WM users if they dared trying to charge extra for that increased development time.

If you are developing for Windows then using UWP isn't a good choice. It will only allow you to access Windows 10 devices, which are barely a third of the platform. It doesn't make sense. x86 is a much bigger audience and if your application is simple then a website will reach almost any platform.

This will make it unusable in smaller countries where Silverlight apps are used to serve both WP8.1 and W10m users. Sorry, if my apps don't work because Microsoft doesn't understand backwards compatibility, I am out.
Also, WhatsApp has a third choice: To stop developing for Windows completely. Boom.

This is the point I was raising earlier. WhatsApp has reached the point were a reboot and redevelopment of an app isn't worth it.
If they don't develop a new app - guess what happens? Users will move to Android or iOS. WhatsApp user base won't be dealt any blow.
It's on Microsoft to do the begging and convincing.

Oh, how I miss my 950xl that is away for repair. I do so much hope it lasts until a new mobile device comes out. Having to turn to an android device (even when it's all Microsoft that determines the software) there is no comparison to the integration of W10 between devices.

Cortana is my biggie. I rely on Cortana heavily. Other apps not so much outside of email and some messaging stuff. Can't imagine not having my context based reminders syncing between my devices,i know Android has better integration with the Cortana app than iOS but i don't really want to use Android. I really feel as though W10M and after that iOS are more productive even if you can customise android heavily

Even for contacts things aren't as integrated in iOS. Last i checked your Outlook app stores contacts separately to the rest of the phones main contact list.

Cortana is a pos. I actually had a great time on my phone today trying to search for "an evening with Bic Runga" and because evening was in the term Cortana came up saying Good Evening back to me. Even when I specifically selected "web search" it still kept doing it. And let's not forget how awesome it is when I type something into the search bar, hit enter, only to have it literally change the words I have typed in to whatever crap it wants me to search for instead. So I have to then type in again what I want, look in the drop down and actually select the words I actually typed. It is such a terrible system.

I thought that was just the crappy keyboard doing that to my searches!

Nope, it actually changes what you have put in, even if you actually tap out every letter the default action when you tap enter is to search for something else (not always, but I would say it happens to me at least once a day), not what you have actually typed, it is really frigging annoying. You can actually see your initial phrase as the first option in the "other" section of the drop down.

Even though some big apps are Silverlight, I still love this since it's essentially cleaning up the store of the old

Well, it looks good on paper...

Thank god they are dropping support for Silverlight.

It had to happen at some point. UWP is the future. As for this rumored "new" attempt at phone platform, I'm pretty sure it's not "new" at all but rather a continuation of Microsoft's One Windows vision. While Microsoft did introduced a unified development platform in UWP with Windows 10, the core OS itself was not as unified as one would like to think. Like many, I've been asking Microsoft to introduce this one feature or other that was introduced for PCs to come to mobile too. It's obvious now that with initiatives like Windows on ARM, cShell, minimal UI elements in fluent design desktop/start screen (leaked screenshots), Windows 10 S etc. That the development branch of Windows 10 on PCs is the way forward. It's like what they did with Internet Explorer. Created a fork for legacy purposes, in initiatives like Windows 10 S (With Win32 support on demand) and continue with modern approach in Windows on ARM (with Win32 emulation which might as well become an option as an on demand feature just like Windows 10 S), cShell (which will ensure the OS UI will scale depending on the device you are running Windows on), UWP File Explorer, eSIM and always on connectivity support, bringing wordflow swipe touch keyboard to Windows 10, this rumored new UI for phones (which I'm pretty sure is an evolution of Windows 10 PC UI like we saw in leaked screen shots of fluent design desktop/start screen in some form of consolidated desktop, start and taskbar UI experience for all device types) and you realize where are Microsoft is going with this. The development braches we see on PC today are gonna become standalone OS version for any and all kind of devices. And because Silverlight doesn't have support for scalable UI across all device types, it has to die. One Windows as an OS and UWP as its development platform is the way forward people. Just sit tight and let it all come together in future versions of Windows.

Stop talking about Whatsapp making a universall app that runs on desktop and phone. NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. Their entire architecture is built around a single point of security (/failure)... your phone. They have whatsapp web for everywhere else.  Of course, they can make a UWP that only works on phones and just have a UWP web wrapper everywhere else sure. But no way in hell are they doing what everyone keeps insinuating they will.

Imagine a new Windows Mobile device without WhatsApp. For sure that's "a bend in the curve" (but the slope seems downwards). The mobile future in the hands of WhatsApp. That will give them a hard-on.

And soon you'll see whatsapp is dead articles from you know who.

Exactly - switch from WhatsApp to the new Skype! /s

Lol, JWard. "Why a reboot is the exact thing MS needed to regain marketshare". I'm just waiting for it to dawn on users that you'll need a new device to join the hype train to "Utopia".

Well if WhatsApp doesn't have a new app for the new device I definitely can't buy it even if i wanted to. WhatsApp is practically the only thing I use for communication.

WhatsApp? Not on my phone, pointless. Onwards please...

Nobody cares what's not on your phone. This is about the hundreds of millions of people that do have WhatsApp as their main messaging app

As long as i can make a simple phone call is all; who needs anything more?

Then why are you even using a smartphone? Just get a basic button phone and you're golden.

The Nokia 3310 is available. Go buy it.

Looks like Microsoft it's trying to push Silverlight apps to UWP. Developers can also develop apps for all devices at the same time. Microsoft is on the good track. Keep It Up Microsoft! And WhatsApp is also trying to create a PC app and I think they might make it an UWP app

Source???

A very smart choice but might cost them.
At less than 1%, some developers might give up.

It will be a laughing stock if Microsoft new phone does not have whatsapp

Has everyone forgotten not so long ago WhatsApp said they were working on an app for the windows store to move away from WhatsApp web? When that occurs wouldn't that ans that particular question. I think given MS history any attempt now at a new mobile OS will be done hopefully with greater consultation with devs and at least give them the OS to work with for their apps. That way when UWPs are created for the existing Silverlight based apps, there would be a seamless transition from what we use today over to this newly touted OS by MS for our smartphones.

Yes and I downloaded WhatsApp for PC on my laptop but somehow it isn't working . Good point anyway

Exactly pedmar007, the creators for WhatsApp know what's going on and they are simply covering as many Windows mobile users with using the older tech that runs on Win8.1 that is still being used. There will be a release well before time for their UWP version, they just haven't needed to just yet. Now the writing is on the wall it won't be long for the new version to come out. 

Whatsapp is no longer SIlverlight-based, so shouldn't be affected.

Scorch the earth again for a third or fourth time. That will definitely get people to switch from their existing mobile solutions. Good thinking. 

Zac and Dan know something something Windows Mobile me thinks, but perhaps been sworn to secrecy.

So they did it again : We will be running a kind of W10.1 mobile on our current devices, while they release a new Windows 10, not available for us ☹

Sorry lol

A new phone OS that does not support Whatsapp ? What about facebook ,or will it be able to send and receive email , or browse the web ? Hahaha

Force devs to update or be left behind? When exactly did that rhetoric work in the past? The only people who are left behind are the users and Microsoft themselves.

MS wouldnt be so stupid to do another failed reboot. will it be supporting sideloading of android apps?

What other apps besides whataspp and slack run on silverlight on the current windows 10 mobile? If ture, I seriously hope microsoft will invest in helping whatsapp make a new app, seriously. It is globally the most use social messaging app with skype. I know no one in my network that uses skype. I have more contacts globally using whatsapp than skype. Cutting off users from whatsapp, even though windows mobile has a low market share, I think would be a controversial move. Certainly a reason to condsider not recommending a future windows mobile phone device. The cost of investing in a yet another experimental platform over 7 years with uncertain future support is difficult to sell. This rumour is very recognizable as a deja vue from the last 7 years and it seems its hard for microsoft to get out of this vicious circle. Microsoft must have top tier apps out of the box. Otherwise it will be windows mobile 5.x to windows phone all over again. That's not a good outlook for businesses and consumers. So I hope they start working with whatsapp now to get this app done by the time silverlight support for mobile actually stops.

I hope that comes as an update to current Windows 10 handsets like my Lumia 650.
Also hope that vital apps like WhatsApp would get a UWP makeover before that happens 😜

To run on more users and let app developers create apps for the Windows platform, Microsoft cannot leave behind the most used apps and for which it has suffered in the past. If apps like WhatsApp, Facebook slack do not run in the new devices people not gonna buy them and hence again the same fiasco all over again. The ingredients for success for Microsoft right now are just 3 fold. more apps for the windows universal platform and superior performance, New devices, And aggressive marketing.

Personally, I completely support what Microsoft is doing for the mobile environment. They are going against the easy road of mobile computing and creating something new. That's OK, but the world is not ready for it right now. So while Microsoft decides to do something with their new tech, Apple and Google will be ruling and Microsoft will soon be redundant and not so interesting platform for the users as well as the after hours.

"They are going against the easy road of mobile computing and creating something new." What's the something new? We're coming up on 2 years with not a single product to suggest we'll ever get something. We were supposed to originally get the Surface Phone a few months ago. Then at the start of next year. Now, we're hearing the end of next year. All I've gotten from this is MS knows they failed at traditional smartphones, so they've given up on that, but they might try something new sometimes, if they feel like it.

The only smart move I have seen make in some time and they should have killed it sooner.

yay! im happy with this.

What the hell. This dumb move from MS can't convince developers to update their apps cause there are only few developers who build using UWP but we never know.. Hmmmm

Overall, it's a step in the right direction. Silverlight has to die, there's no question about that. It's an outdated piece of garbage that has seen no development except bugfixes since 2013, and isn't supported by any major browser. Chrome doesn't support it, Firefox doesn't support it, even Edge doesn't support it. It's as dead as a doornail and it has to go. It most certainly won't be missed. Then, Microsoft needs to contact developers of apps that still use it, and help them, pay them, do it with them or for them, whatever, just get them to port their stuff to UWP.

the IMPORTANT question is "will the HP elite x3, Lumia 950/XL, Alcatel Idol 4 (Windows) be supported for future updates or are they going to receive SOME fluent designs and the new "surface Phone" be totally different and after that the only 13 devices that are supported are abandoned?

No.
The Lumia 950 is hitting two years soon.
Plus MS has a history of leaving users behind when a new OS is released.

What will be happening to Lumia Creative Studio?

deleted

Honestly I think this is great. As it stands the only app I may lose would be WhatsApp but I see Microsoft working with Facebook to bring a WhatsApp uwp to the store even if its only available on mobile-like form factors.

How did you know they worked on uwp WhatsApp?

Restricting Silverlight is a necessary move. I do not think many, if any, apps using it will be recreated for UWP unless Microsoft gains major traction in their Store. This will be yet another headache for Microsoft but a step in the right direction.

Microsoft's next attempt at Windows phone won't support Silverlight apps: Just try and support mainstream Apps, that make your phone more than just a camera and Gameboy. 90% of the Apps on a Windows Phone was designed by and for Windows, they serve no real purpose in a world where Mobile devices are used on the go. The Windows Mobile started out as a great product, then Microsoft tinkered with it until they broke the damn thing, and never put it back together again, let the Windows Mobile, or the Surface Foldable use not only Windows Apps, but also Android Apps, make it truly universal.

Well, you can't support old app models forever if you're aiming to establish a new software paradigm. 8.1 apps were already old,there are too many of them but naturally most have lost support. Now, this clearly isn't a problem because I'm sure WhatsApp can compile a new version for whatever comes next. It might even be a packaged UWP app, maybe even a pure one. And we will all still have support for some time, then we'll get the next WP. So this is not worth a tantrum.
If you don't get this, you haven't been paying attention to where MS is heading in the mid to short term.

Yes, they should kill it, but they should pay WhatsApp to bring uwp app

Wonder who in their right mind will ever trust Microsoft with a phone again; consumers certainly won't after the countless broken promisses and the destruction of Nokia Lumia's lagacy; developers certainly won't after the countless OS reboots and being left behind. So what can posible Microsoft do to make someone decide to spend hundreds of hard earned cash on a Microsoft powered Phone? I can think of just one thing, and that is killer hardware that would surpass even what Nokia Lumia did, but that is very unlikely considering Microsoft fired nearly all the Nokia talent they got in the aqiusition; but if MS releases a modern version of the Lumia 1020 with an even better camera tech, it might just save their ass. Anything less that you can just as easily get from a Galaxy phone or an iPhone will be a complete market fail.  

Even with an eye blowing device, without apps only fanboys will hurry to buy it happy that they can text and call while continuing to kiss MS @$$ over and over again. MS is done! I have to be a complete idiot to ever throw my money to another windows phone.

Gotta love the "sorry" button.

This is great news. Finally, I can stop supporting all my old WP applications and completely focus on developing for android;)

Another reboot? Yay

This is the catch22 I was afraid off. By neglecting the consumer market and their own mobile platform they have eroded the foundation on which UWP apps would have been developed on. There is a third choice and lets be realistic - WhatsApp could simply choose not develop a UWP app. However in short term it doesn't mean the phones that are not supported will randomly stop working so silverlight apps will continue to function as normal. Long term:
Not only the developers don't have a wide pool of mobile users for monetisation. As time goes on that pool will dwindle down. WhatsApp already have a .exe wrapper that uses the phone client. If Microsoft had not demolished their own foundation, I wouldn't be concerned. But as a daily WhatsApp user I am very much concerned to put it mildly.

"This [refresh] forces developers to update their apps or be left behind"... I would say Microsoft is not exactly in a possition to force developers.

Windows phones have had the stigma of not keeping up with popular apps for years. There are some improvements, but they stop support and app goes away months later. Will this change allow developers to create new apps and catch up with the world?! I've been a Windows phone user probably longer than most of you (WP 5.0). We definitely came a long but I feel like I'm missing out on productivity and entertainment w the lack of apps in the store. Asking ppl to settle for a web browser experience when there are apps out there is just an insult.

I tried to look through all my apps that are Silverlight based. I have less than 5 apps that I actively use that are Silverlight based. Honestly, I will not loose much with Microsoft dropping support for them. Other than apps I have several Silverlight games that I rarely play on my phone.

So many games would be dropped from support .-.

As much of an inconvenience as this will be it does need to happen eventually. In order for mobile to eventually be a success it needs a stronger more robust foundation. UWP will eventually be a hardware agnostic software platform and once that is actually achieved will simply be the most capable software platform available hands down. Microsoft has been slowly replacing the Windows foundation for a while now. This work is slow going and tedious but the days of slapping new bells & whistles on an old foundation are gone. That's how Windows became so bloated and slow in the first place. The key word is "eventually". Eventually this investment will pay off.

Are you kidding me?
There is no way anyone is going to switch to windows mobile if *even fewer* major apps work.
And nobody is going to rewrite their apps for a failing platform. They can get full win10 to work on ARM but they can't get Silverlight (their own tech) to work properly? They need to build a solid user and developer base before they can make changes like this without major repercussions.

It's not about getting Silverlight to work properly. They did that already. It's a case of getting rid of old, outdated technology which hasn't seen any development except bugfixes since 2013, and isn't supported by any major browser (Chrome, Firefox) or Microsoft themselves (Edge). It's exactly the same garbage as Adobe Flash or AIR, except it never got anywhere near popular to begin with. Both are being killed off, and for good reasons. I suppose Microsoft will be working with developers to get their apps ported to UWP, perhaps even paying them, or whatever they need to do. But one thing is clear: Silverlight, and Flash/AIR, both have to go.

Silverlight apps aren't 64bit, they wouldn't work anyway.

They should support apk again.

I think Microsoft has woken up! Haha love to see Windows Central back reporting more and more about Windows mobile!!!

Wait, I thought only Windows Phone 7 apps were silverlight based while native 8 and 8.1 apps were based on the Windows 8 predecessor to UWP, a Modern "Metro" UI app.

Up to WP8 all apps were based on Silverlight. It's only with WP8.1 that you could write "universal" apps that could use the same API's ("WinRT") as regular Windows 8. It will be interesting to see if MS will drop support for WinRT based apps as well.

Assuming... Hoping that Microsoft will work closely worth these developers to have their apps ready for the new platform.

They need to work with big developers to make sure users don't get stuck. App gap is already there, losing WhatsApp support will be terrible. That's the main message app I use, and top 5 apps i use daily.

Take it up with Facebook. Tell them they need to start a UWP version and leave Silverlight behind.

The one great aspect of this will be this next version will hopefully also run uwp that are currently only on desktop store/win 10s. These are the apps which have been updated more frequently and are of better quality. The downside is that we still need developers to make apps that only really make sense on mobile (ex. running/fitness). Without market share, i dont know how that will happen.

Yes, this exactly. Build one and done. If the desktop UWP can run on mobile then there is absolutely no reason that a developer would not develop an app for it. They simply would not be able to limit it any more (which I never understood anyways. Do people really hate mobile users that much that they purposely choose not to click the checkbox for mobile?).

Its a little more work than that. They still have to make sure the ui/ux work for mobile. But yeah, I get your point. How bad is it that they don't want to commit to an extra 10-30 hours of coding to target another base.

Speculation...Speculation...Speculation...!

Given that Silverlight itself has totally fallen to the wayside, how is this surprising? Given that iOS bridge already offers great support for Windows 10 Mobile anyway, there's no good reason to avoid bringing iOS apps over to the new W10 platform. Most apps that users want to hold onto have iOS versions that could easily be ported.

They think devs will rewrite their apps while in reality they will just abandon them and leave.

Zac, I have to disagree. As a developer, I understand the driven to more forward and deprecate old APIs. WhatsApp is a great example like you mentioned. However, they already made it clear they are not going to develop a universal app since they're releasing the desktop app into the store for desktop/tablet support only. If Microsoft nukes legacy 8.1 app support, these developers will not feel an urge to migrate and do more work. They will abandon the platform. These developers were the ones that developed apps when others did not. Why punish them?

On the one had, good to not let legacy content linger forever and hurt future development. On the other, not good for a platform struggling horribly with app availability to gut its minuscule offerings further. To be a radioactive monster with a third hand, I can't even pretend this "Microsoft's next attempt at mobile" means much to me becuase they've shown absolutely nothing to me in about 18 months to say I should treat them as trying in mobile, and every Surface Phone report from this site pushes the goalpost back another 6 months. Last I read, we're sitting on a 3-year gap from the 950 to Surface, the same gap from the 920 to 950 that led to such a depressing downturn in content for the platform.

My only dream is that apps work like in iOS, blazing fast, instant resume, perfect ram management

UWP is way less powerfull than older silverlight apps.
We need too see some UWP platform evolvment before this will make sense.

I'm curious, what about UWP is less powerful than Silverlight? Silverlight has been deprecated for years now. This is nothing new.

I still wonder why every other OS on the market (Windows Desktop, Android, ios) have no problems with supporting older apps
Like really old apps from windows XP or jellybean era.
And there is no problems with performance cause new hardware is way way faster. And only with Windows Phone Microsoft is experiencing the irresistable urge to constant reboots of OS and it's API's
Probably that's very poorly architectured OS from the very beginning.

Slack ? Really ? The app is quite recent, why have they used silverlight for that ?

No clue why it was used to begin with. That's like Direct TV now on pc using Silverlight.

Because with Silverlight they could target BOTH the 80% of the Windows phone market that still runs 8.1 as well as the 15% that runs W10M. Considering the small number of people using a Windows phone to begin with, it's a small miracle they bothered to create an app to begin with, let alone one that would only reach 15% of already negligible market. Similarly, on the desktop Slack already had an app with which they covered 100% of the desktop market. With UWP they would be restricted to only 25% of that same market. Creating a UWP today only makes sense if you BELIEVE in it as a play for the future. And that is a big gamble. Today, from an economic and business point of view where you want to reach as much customers as possible, UWP is not a viable option. Big problem is that Windows 10 market share growth has dropped significantly on desktops (and is nonexistent on mobile). At this rate, by the time Windows 10 becomes the dominant Windows version, Microsoft might have already dropped UWP for the next "big best thing". There are a number of steps MS could have taken to avoid this situation: - keep their promise to upgrade ALL Windows 8.1 phones to W10M. - make the upgrade mandatory or at the very least automatic via Windows Update instead of a separate app you must download for all supported 8.1 devices - release compelling new hardware so people would replace their aging WP8.1 devices with a W10M device. - keep the free upgrade for Windows on desktops They choose not to, and in turn developers choose not to target UWP.

Microsoft Store is on all windows devices, not just the 1% windows on phone market share. And MS and OEMs are now pushing several Store only (UWP) options, both in the form of x86 Windows S and Windows on ARM devices. Not that it's mandatory for Store use, but alot of those are touch/tablet devices with a user base familiar with stores like this. At this point, Windows phones does not matter. MS need to do what they can where they have the user base. However, the current software and hardware development makes a rebirth of some kind of Windows powered phone inevitable, and when this happens, MS need it and the devs. to be UWzp oriented. It's about streamlining the echosystem.  

Silverlight is no longer supported on the desktop for a couple of years now, so what the fuzz, let's move on to a better world; we will have full Windows in a phone form factor, what more would we want? Oh yes, one can unfold it to tablet size, which can be used as a type and track pad in a desktop style configuration which it powers as well. :-)

What the hell Microsoft? What's wrong with you. Already there is decline in sales of your handsets and you want the remaining available people to lose that trust in you. Microsoft not supporting WhatsApp!!!! Not right man. Please rectify the same.
Do you think WhatsApp developers will work for you by developing a non Silverlight app? It's there freewill, if they do not support then what!!! Everybody out of Microsoft phones that's i guess what you want.
Why Microsoft does this silly things

Seriously people, try to understand before you post. Come on Silverlight is obsolete. It has been for several years now. If there is an app still using Silverlight then it needs to be eliminated. UWP is the way to go. And it is not difficult to bring them to UWP.

Can't say I'm surprised......

I don't think I can stick with windowsphone for much longer. It's been a good run, but I think my next phone will have to be android. Even my mainstay apps are starting to fall into disrepair, which saddens me. Android apps look far from perfect, and I seriously doubt I will ever find YouTube apps as good as MyTube, or Reddit apps as great as Readit. Unfortunately, while my 950XL's hardware is great, the phone is starting to become rampant/lose it's marbles, even after a recent formatting of the OS. I don't think I can wait for another windowsphone to come out possibly years in the future. I have loved the time I have spent on this platform. :)

Look at the OnePlus or LG. Those are my favorite Android devices. If I was to switch I would get one of them, but I'm sticking it out for now.

 Unfortunately, to understand where MS is going, you probably have to be a developer (which I am).  Silverlight uses similar programming syntax to UWP.  It's not too hard to translate it.... And yes, I think Dan and Zac know something.  He ends the article saying WC will have more about mobile soon.

To hold on to 925 and hope for better things or join the dark side (ios). That is the question.

925? Hmmm I think I would upgrade to a cheap Android until Windows Mobile restarts.

I agree with Microsoft but then again WhatsApp must be having 60%(i guess) users on 8.1 why would they?

OK 👌 I don't see the problem, this is not even new and alot of apps already from WP8 do not work on 10. What I see in this scare tactic article is the lack of mentioning UWP, yes that is the keyword I was looking for. It's as if this story was written by Surur from MSpoweruser!

You clearly did not read the 3 paragraph.

I guess u r only interested in the kind of fantasies that are churned out by writers like Jason Ward

how to have yet another failed mobile phone, alienate whats app would do it. Cant see them wanting to remake a app for windows platform if this is right.

Never give up!. Microsoft. One day you will succeed.

It's about time... and looking forward to the new gen, without the old gen tech. Silverlight has been holding back a ton of things, so I'm elated that this new reboot will begin on the right footing. It won't be that problematic for devs to switch over their apps to be UWP (Silverlight free). This is what probably should've happened when Win10 was out the gate, but as there is a complex web of tech that is hidden for the ave consumer that change wouldn't have been welcomed and besides Microsoft didn't have other parts in place for it to happen then either. So bring it on I say.. 

Hey! At least one person gets it :)

And meanwhile Android gets prio. http://www.zdnet.com/article/microsoft-begins-rolling-out-overhauled-sky...

Developers are already leaving the platform due to limitations and the tiny user base and now with this, I think a whole lot of developers are going to leave and WhatsApp will soon stop supporting W10 Mobile as like BlackBerry. I don't blame them. Why should they care for 0.3% when the 0.3% itself are waiting for the right time to migrate to other platforms

They will launch uwp app for the sake of pc users

It's dependent on phone number. It would only launch on cellular pc's.

It's still millions of Windows Phone users, 0.3%

sorry bebo...numbers are wrong there...its 0.03 percent

They really need to stop that garbage iOS port to Windows Mobile 10 that's what i see !!
Instagram app is always buggy and crashing especially while loading images and while in story trying to post  either the facebook and messenger ! WTH! 

Ahmed, I don't have a problem with Instagram. Maybe it's your connection.

I don't think WhatsApp is Silverlight now is it?

Nope, it's a WInRT/Store app. Also, no idea why the story mentions Slack, since there's a very good UWP Slack app that's in public 'beta' in the Store.

I appreciate the decision. But What will happen to the devices still running Windows Phones 8.1... Which is more stable than w10..... Most used Windows devices like 520, 640, 535 who are still in w8.1???

Landfill

This is a perfect time to do all the big changes, as the number of users is minimal, Then it's time to promote the new and better (read: best) WP ever.

Microsoft stupid idea #48

Are you even taking the time to comprehend what they are doing? These are Silverlight apps. Silverlight has not been supported in years. It is just cleaning up legacy apps and code.

This is all part of their master plan to reduce the app ecosystem to double digits

Upset what, max. 50,000 users now vs. hobble Windows 10 S for cellular PCs. No brainer.

There is 3 million Windows Phone users just in America alone.

Well, "America" has 351 million people. You can't say it has much WP users

"Forces developers to update their apps or left behind"...are you kidding me man???...developer for gods sake just doesn't care about this windows 10 mobile sh*t anymore...they just don't give a sh*t...!!!

Kicking the developers in the a*s, that's what we love doing here at Micro$oft!

It is actually pretty simple to move off of Silverlight. It's like 1 button click and boom done.

Are we potentially going to end up with a Windows 10 S situation on Microsoft's next attempt at a mobile device platform?  A new version of Windows 10 Mobile that, by default, only supports proper modern applications (UWP) with an option to pay a fee to "upgrade" the device to support older (read: Silverlight) applications?  Not that I consider it likely, but such an approach could have several advantages: Users have to make a decision to acquire support for older software and only pay for it if they do require it. Since most users purchasing a device with the new "Windows 10 Mobile" won't bother with support for older software, encourages software developers to upgrade existing software to reach a new market. Users that "absolutely need" to continue to use older software for which an upgrade path is not available or clear can still purchase a new device and continue with their current mobile experience. Microsoft can deprecate and eventually sunset the existing Windows 10 Mobile platform to further encourage the upgrade of older software.  The "pain point" for existing users should be minimal when you consider that Windows 10 Mobile is generally running on devices using batteries that will naturally wear out in a few years time anyway.

I don't think so. The UWP just makes the most sense. Those Silverlight apps, most have not been updated in years. I don't think the developers even care about them any more. This is really more of a focus on what they want W10M (or whatever it is going to be called next) to be. That is after all what we have all complained about right? WP7 had a strong focus and knew exactly what it wanted to be. I see this as really going back to the roots and kick out all of the legacy stuff, which is the right thing to do.

Man! People love to cry like babies. Silverlight based mobiles apps (xap) were for windows phone 7 and 8. Windows phone 8.1 also supports windows 8 style appx apps. All, the Silverlight based app developers have to do is target appx. Also, all wp8 devices can be upgraded to wp8.1. Get it? Phew!

Now, I am no developer. Purely as a reader the way I read this news is that 'Latest version of windows will not support some of the already insignificant number of apps on windows store'. Good Luck Microsoft with your new 'ultimate mobile device', but without the apps it will be nothing but a useless peice of super-expensive paper weight. Given that MS has already given up on its existing mobile devices, if at all it wants to re-enter (again!) the mobile space, here is what it need to do (and in that order): First try and get 10 S popular. Make it uber cheap and ensure that most of the new PCs, 2-in-1s, Tablets etc run it. Via your education and enterprise teams, get more and more enterprises and educational institutes use 10 S Then go after the developers and entice them to produce UWP apps for 10 S computers Then, and only then, start working on your mobile device. The way it is going now, if surface phone launches in 2017/2018, and does even have whatsapp, good luck selling even a few hundred of them. And please don't say that it is for enterprises and hence do not require apps like whatsapp etc.

Exactly! The success of Win 10 S and the Surface Laptop are crucial in driving Developers to UWP. If this succeeds - and innovative Win Phones (metal bodys/ foldable/ ARM-based/ supporting Continuum - maybe even wirelessly, etc.) are made available across the spectrum (not just One Flagship model), then MS has a chance.   I don't miss Apps on WinPhone, what I do miss are Apps to track and pay for my utilization of stuff like Electricity, Gas, Bank Transactions, etc. These are available for Android & iOS alone...

Wow
Restarting yet again..

Hardly. I've done a block-chart in my AAWP coverage at http://allaboutwindowsphone.com/news/item/22235_Silverlight_compatibilit... which some may find helpful here. - if anything, Silverlight has been supported WAY beyond its expected useful lifetime. Look at the orange sections in the chart. 8-)

I agree. People are complaining here but I agree with the decision of dropping support for Silverlight apps. Its and old piece of tech no one cares about a lot. WIth UWP geting matured and Xamarin taking a up a good share of cross-platform development, I don't think anyone wants to write Silverlight code anymore. But the problem fans have here is that they keep on rebooting their attempts. I hope they plan everything correctly this time around and give us a good product with proper support. Nixing Silverlight in that cause is no big deal. 

That's because 5th time is the charm! But seriously every reboot has had it's reasons. And they have all taken a step in the right direction.

the problem is getting devs to take you seriously after rebooting 5 times

Bring it on, I hardly use "Apps" anyway.

Or, the developers have a third choice, stop developing for the Windows and Mobile platform altogether.

I am sure, M$ management does not know about this third choice.  So I would say, the header of this news should be "M$ starts a next attempt to kill Windows mobile"

Most developers can't just abandon MS, because Windows is still dominant in the PC marketplace, not to mention the millions of XBox users. It will serve them well to develop apps for those platforms. 

PC has Win32, and that is what developers can't easily abandon. Netflix, and the like, will support XBox.

No matter what happens, Microsoft needs quality apps......period.

Nadella is a moron.  What a joke. 

its true about Instagram -its the only app that closes and crashes regularly-also Whats-app is a must nowdays so I am sure it will be abled on any platform or else they will lose sales. I have not updated my mobile to windows 10 cause the stability reports are not positive plus I would have to re- install all my apps as they dont re-load on all my previous updates on neither SD or Phone 

Hey, WhatsApp works perfectly with Win 10 Mobile! Just dint try the Insider Builds!! Win 10 doesn't look too different from 8/ 8.1, but it is much smoother & better overall! Trust me!!

What stability reports? Fast? Slow? Release preview? or Production? If production, then can you point me in the direction of the reports? If any other ring, then the stability reports can be completely dismissed. Also, why would you have to re-install all of your apps? They carry over when you upgrade...

At this point there is no reason NOT to start with a "Clean Slate".
There are not enough W10M users to even worry about (less than 1% of global users) so they lose NOTHING by doing this.
Their newest Phone is almost 2 years old already (950/950XL) and MS has never cared about hanging their OEMS out to dry so long as they keep buying licenses (and the W10M licenses were FREE anyway, so it's no loss for MS.)
I personally love my 950 but unless something new is announced by Chrismas 2017 I am off to Android-land as there is nowhere else to go when my contract is up for renewal (I hate iPhones as they are waaaay overpriced for the hardware and I can't stand the "Fisher-Price" iOS interface.)
I think MOST developers will welcome this as SilverLight has already been depreciated in Windows 10 (it still works, but not for long and they have warned all developers to move off the platform.)
One more piece of the puzzle falls into place on the unification of the Windows platform.

Will be interesting to see where MS will be able to scrape together a new batch of early adopters.

Here's one right here :) so that would be +1 for early adopters

I have been an avid fan of windows mobile since the old xda mobiles windows 7. I really just sigh in disbelief as to how far behind windows has fallen compared to Android and even that iphone thing. Lack of apps, lack of app updates, slow, sometimes so slow and unresponsive, app crashes, Cortana just seemed to get worse and worse... apps that once were, now vanished as they just gave up trying too... Windows just gave up. So after years of windows phone and hope that it would actually move into the future, ive finally given up and had to get an Android to be able to do what I need to do and stay with the times. I really dont know why I held out for so long. My flimsy clunky slow windows phone that no one wants, now sitting in a draw :( so sad.

Hmmmm.... I do not have this experience. And also lack of apps or app updates is not the fault of the OS. So that is unfair to say that Windows is behind. Which apps are slow, unresponsive, and crash? And what do you mean Cortana is worse? She keeps getting new features. And apps vanishing again is not the fault of the OS. Kind of sounds like you really do not know what you are talking about. And either trolling or just came here to whine about something you do not have because it makes you feel better or something.

I bought my Lumia 640 in April 2016 to replace my 2012 Galaxy Note 2 (it's all about the PEN!) as I wanted to see how Windows 10 Mobile is before getting excited about the Surface Phone (or Surface Courier if the 'Phone' has to be dropped, maybe it will be not dissimilar to the MS Courier prototype of not so many years ago). I immediately upgraded to Windows 10 Mobile because I failed to see any advantage of Windows Phone 8/8.1.  My experience was such that I enjoyed the tiles approach and appreciated the integration with my Surface Pro 3 and Book. In March this year I replaced the 640 with the 950XL, as at 70 years young, I appreciate the larger screen. I miss few apps from my Galaxy Note 2 and do not play games on my 950XL.  My current device is far more effective and efficient. So I do not understand why some users are insisting on WP8.0/8.1, or is this old man missing the point? BTW, over the last few months I have been working in the Balkans.  It was not uncommon to see 40% or more share of Windows phones at meetings.  IPhone is quite rare, as one would expect in an economy like that - affordability is all.

I don't think you are missing any point. It's just people do not like change. And WP8.0/8.1 to W10M is huge leap and big change. There are  some things about W10M that I really do not like, but it mostly has to do with the fact that Microsoft really did not seem to know which way they were heading. They did not have a plan like they did with original Metro. Other than that W10M is a big step in the right direction. So no you are not missing the point, you just came in at a different time than everyone else so you do not have a bias to compare W10M to.

The thing is this is now the third reboot of windows phone (or whatever you want to call it). And on top of that it does not have great market share. Such a reboot (which also makes old apps stop working) comes with a lot of work to be done by developers. Some, who did use silverlight, might even have to rewrite their entire app from scratch. A platform with few users, like Windows Phone in its current state, might not be worth the effort to a lot of devs. So people now fear, that many of the apps they may depend on (like for example WhatsApp) will not be updated since the developers do not want to invest the time and money to write a new app and therefore abandon whatever mobile approach Microsoft is coming up with next. While I think that Microsoft will be seeing to make WhatsApp write a new app with the help of a little incentive, other smaller apps (especially from third party developers which windows phone has depended a lot on) will very likely not get the same treatment and therefore the death spiral, which is the "no apps no users" and "no users no apps" problem, will spin another turn. Furthermore Microsoft has yet to bring a "killer-feature" to the platform to gain the interest of devs and companies (and especially normal users), but instead has changed their course repeteadly with no indication that they have an idea what direction they are heading and by that further weakening the little bit of trust that is left in the platform. Also I think some might fear that now their current handsets will become obsolete as they might not support those new features and since the installbase is so small, not a lot of devs actually put in the work to maintain multiple versions of their app, that supports older OS-builds.

I hope 6tag will be updated. It is my favorite Silverlight program but it was long ago when Rudy updated it.

Microsofts strategy makes sense, but will developer jump on the bandwagon? Time will tell. :-/

It looks likesomeone at M$ is doing best to kill that platform. No more HERE MAPS, WP suffers from lack of apps, and they are behaving like app developers are standing in the line to write apps for WM? Are they nuts? whatsapp may be the last wide distribution app that somehow connects the WP to the rest of platforms messaging. They should increase the app ammount if they hope to save the WP. The way M$ (and Intel) kept going that success of windows, is by BACKWARD COMPATIBILITY. WIN 7 still can run DOS. They should contact the users in every country, and ask what do they miss most, and I dont mean to games, they are all alike. I mean to banking apps, utility payment, services that  one needs while moving.

It seems to me big M$ is in the proces of commiting Windows Phone suicide. If a popular standard app like WhatsApp doesn't work anymore or my banking app is no longer supported on WP as they have announced than I have no other option but to leave the WP ecosystem. As much as I dislike Android or IOS I will not have another option...

It seems to me big M$ is in the proces of commiting Windows Phone suicide. If a popular standard app like WhatsApp doesn't work anymore or my banking app is no longer supported on WP as they have announced than I have no other option but to leave the WP ecosystem. As much as I dislike Android or IOS I will not have no other option...

No more Microsoft Phone period. They screwed me over with every single iteration since the Lumia 920. By the 950 They lied, they wasted my money, they never got any of it right, they ignored users. It was constantly crashing. The only solution is to wipe and start over fpor it to keep crashing like it did before. They suck. They are liars. They did absolutely nothing right since ruining what Nokia built.

Silverlight is supposed to be supported until 2021

"This is a good thing, as it helps remove older apps that aren't using any new Windows 10 APIs, and forces developers to update their apps or be left behind." Perhaps, but more likely is that developers simply leave Windows behind. Microsoft has a poor track record of supporting its mobile technologies this past decade and Windows is absent from the mobile sphere. Why devote resources to UWP when any of these apps don't really fit the desktop paradigm anyway? My prediction is that Microsoft is going to run into too many roadblocks with UWP on mobile and will instead be forced to fork Android. This would give Microsoft access to (a) all the Android handsets, (b) all the Android apps and (c) displace Google from its own ecosystem the way Google has dominated web search in Microsoft's ecosystem. Microsoft missed the mobile boat and no amount of UWP synergy between desktop and mobile is going to rectify that. Microsoft simply does not get touch, and, for Windows UWP to scale Microsoft's OS needs to make touch as smooth an experience as iOS. As for opportunity for growth--the last three decades have shown how instransigent users are when it comes to their computing choices. In 30 years on the desktop there has been room for two, count 'em, two platforms. Where are Amiga, OS/2, NeXT (in iOS and macOS ;), Atari, Apple? Some of these OS were backed by backers with deep pockets (Apple, Amiga, OS/2) yet we still only have the same two platforms that were big and growing in the mid-80's, 30 years ago. Not even Linux has challenged their combined dominance of 99% of the desktop computing platforms. The mobile sphere seems to be going much the same way. We've got iOS and Andoid-flavors. Windows mobile never caught on and BlackBerry was vanquished. Community attempts like Canonical's and Mozilla's efforts have now been abandoned. We have a mobile ecosystem where iOS and Android command 99+% of the market. That isn't to say that Microsoft could make a similar play as it did with XBox, throwing hundreds of millions, if not billions of dollars at competing with Sony and Nintendo and make a go of Windows UWP/mobile/Continuum/whateveryouwanttocallthestrategy. XBox was competing in a closed ecosystem where existing companies competed on games, hardware and exclusivity. Microsoft combined exclusive compelling content (e.g. its flagship Halo/Marathon... game play and story line that were perfected on the Mac ;) with some pretty good hardware. They also lost money hand over fist for many, many years. Windows mobile is different. Android runs on a huge array of handsets. It would be next to impossible to convince handset makers to make hardware exclusive to WIndows mobile. They'd lose their shirt. Second, developers rely on a critical mass of users. Little developers can earn better money on irrelevant markets like Windows UWP where the big fish don't swim, but, the biggies need to be on the big platforms--they can't afford to be relegated to small platforms. Look at Google and Microsoft--because Apple so dominates the mobile phone sphere they have to have their apps on iOS, their direct and biggest competitor. The reverse is not true. Apple is pretty much absent from Android and has no presence on Windows (other than iTunes... the most popular music program). Apple can afford to ignore those markets because, well Windows mobile doesn't exist and Android, while large is numbers is low in profitability. Ultimately it would be good for us consumers if Microsoft were to succeed with their Continuum/UWP strategy since it would force Apple and Google to improve their respective mobile OSes, but, I don't hold out much hope. Aside from Microsoft and XBox 16 years ago there are very few examples of competitors breaking into an existing, well established market. Even the IBM/PC vs. Apple competition of the early 80's morphed into Microsoft vs. Mac competition in the late 80's, and, while the importance switched from IBM to Microsoft and the platform from Apple to Mac (Mac was as related to Apple II as it was to DOS), it was still essentially the same competitors that were competing. The only thing where Microsoft might have a hope is if there is a viable 3D/augmented reality computing paradigm. I'm not convinced that it's ripe to be blown open any time soon because we're talking major conceptual changes. iOS was in essence little more than a desktop packaged up as a small device controlled by touch... the interaction with the device is only subtly different from mouse and keyboard. 3D/augmented reality is gimmicky or niche, and, our technology is still quite primitive. Perhaps in 10 years? Microsoft may be trying to position itself well for that, but, don't forget that FaceBook bought Oculus Rift and that both Google and Apple are working on their own 3D/augmented reality technologies. Also, remember that Microsoft had been working on a mobile OS as far back as the late 90's yet it still managed to get caught flatfooted by Apple with iOS!

I still use my WhatsApp as like everyone all there mates use apple, Samsung or WP. This app is the only 1 on all of them, so they r dumb too kill it off.