In a press release today, Microsoft has announced the demise of Windows Phone.
Microsoft Corp. on Wednesday announced plans to streamline the company’s smartphone hardware business, which will impact up to 1,850 jobs. As a result, the company will record an impairment and restructuring charge of approximately $950 million, of which approximately $200 million will relate to severance payments.
Streamline; that’s business-speak for terminate. That’s a pretty big write-down, nearly $1 billion to shutter that side of the business. They say they’ll continue the Windows Phone for business customers and “Windows enthusiasts,” but it’s hard to keep a platform alive for such a limited demographic.
It’s a shame. I tried about a Windows phone about a year ago, and I was pleasantly surprised. I liked it more than Android; I felt that the tile interface was clever, and very practical. But Microsoft never managed to get a foothold in the market, so it’s time to send Windows Phone to the great tech graveyard in the sky, alongside the Zune.