It's no secret that Windows phones no longer have a future, and as a result, both users and developers are switching to iOS and Android.
That's exactly what Dutch bank ING plans to do, after the company launched its Windows Phone app in 2013, now planning to focus exclusively on Android and iOS, considering the current state of the platform.
ING said the Windows 10 Mobile app will stop working on April 16 this year and users are advised to either switch to a different platform or connect to mobile services via the internet.
The bank itself explains that Microsoft is solely responsible for its decision to abandon Windows phones, as the company no longer supports its mobile operating system.
“Microsoft has stopped supporting the software for Windows Phone. Therefore, security updates are no longer available. We continue to improve our security standards and an outdated operating system does not comply with this strategy. That is why we are abandoning this application,” ING said.
“We understand that it is inconvenient that you can no longer use the app, but having a secure banking experience is the most important thing. If you have another device (including a tablet) with iOS or Android, you can download and activate the mobile banking app on it.”
Windows 10 Mobile has almost 0% market share and without a doubt sooner or later no one is going to use the platform since no new features are being released. Microsoft will continue to provide security updates until mid-2019, but beyond that point, there will be no more improvements and the platform will be abandoned forever.
Without Microsoft's commitment to the platform, it's only a matter of time before all developers focus on iOS and Android, so expect more of this kind of news in the coming months as we approach the end of support date.
