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Mircosoft Is Set To Kill Lumia Phones By The End Of The Year: Report

The software giant, after dragging on its smartphone business for far too long, is all set to put an end to it.
Albert Gea / Reuters

From promises of timely updates with great features to opening up the platform for developers so they can port Android and iOS apps, Microsoft tried many ways to keep the smartphone business afloat. But now, reports suggest that the company is set to kill the Lumia phone by the end of the year.

A source from Microsoft told WinBeta that the company is set to wrap up the smartphone business by the end of the year and will not release any Lumia phones thereafter. But later the company can enter the smartphone business under a new strategy and a new brand name.

Microsoft has tried to woo the consumers with features such a "PC in the pocket" which allows you to turn your phone into a Windows 10 machine with a monitor, a keyboard, and a mouse. Apart from that it also has Continuum, a feature that allows users to carry on their work from mobile to PC seamlessly.

Dado Ruvic / Reuters

Despite this, the lack of apps on the Windows store has moved users away from the platform. A recent report from Gartner suggests that the market share of Windows phones in the second quarter of 2016 has been just 0.6% as compared to 2.5% in Q2 2015.

The company has been offering permanent discount on their current offerings. At some places, they are giving out a smartphone free on the purchase of one unit.

Right now, Microsoft has four Lumia phones in the market namely Lumia 550, Lumia 650, Lumia 950, and Lumia 950 XL. It intends to sell all the units until stocks last.

Lumia phones were first introduced in 2011. Later in 2013, Microsft acquired Nokia for €3.79 billion and in 2014 the company decided to drop the Nokia branding from the Lumia phones. Microsoft's new CEO Satya Nadella has not been happy with the acquision done by Steve Balmar. The company has fired several employees in June and July from its smartphone division.

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.