Just when you thought Microsoft was officially dropping out of the smartphone race, there began rumours of a Surface branded phone. This piece of news could add credibility to the prospect of a new device. The latest doing the rounds is that the Lumia brand will be phased out by end this year.
Lumia brand was first introduced in November 2011
The Lumia line was first introduced by Nokia in the year 2011. Since then Microsoft has released over 30 of the best selling Windows phone. In the face of fierce competition, especially the iOS and Android devices, Lumia could not achieve the success it hoped for.
According to an anonymous source at Microsoft, the company is preparing to “end sales” of the Lumia range this year, December 2016.
The WinBeta, which first brought out the news, notes that the information fits in line with recent actions from the company, where it has permanently cut the prices of many of its Lumia devices over the past few months.
“This seems to be an effort to sell off remaining stock and coincides with December being the final month since the price cuts have become larger as time has progressed,” writes Jack Wilkinson of WinBeta.
Interestingly, Microsoft has also removed the link to its Lumia range from its homepage in the US. It is also updating its other regional sites.
That does not mean it is the end of Windows 10 Mobile. Earlier, in May, the software giant had announced it will continue to develop Windows 10 Mobile and support existing Lumia phones. The first models to feature Windows 10 was the Lumia 950, Lumia 950 XL and Lumia 550.
Microsoft released its Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL smartphones last year in November. In February, this year, Microsoft launched the Lumia 650 and just six months later it started bringing price cuts in the US.
The Android camp clearly has been giving the brand a tough competition. Microsoft, however, is clear on its commitment to Windows 10. Reports have suggested Microsoft will launch a Surface-branded in an event in October 2016. It is speculated that the next generation device will come with 5.5-inch AMOLED display and will be powered by an Intel Atom 64-bit CPU, Snapdragon 821 or the Snapdragon 830.