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Longtime Windows Phone user explains why Windows Phone has almost no shot in the U.S.

Published Dec 10th, 2014 8:15PM EST
Windows Phone Is Dead

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After showing some promise in 2013, Windows Phone adoption has largely stagnated in 2014, especially in the United States. ZDNet’s Ed Bott, who has used Windows Phone for years, recently threw up his hands in frustration because he’s sick and tired of wireless carriers — and Verizon in particular — not caring enough about Windows Phone users to help them get the latest updates and features on their devices.

RELATED: How Microsoft might get you to care about Windows Phone

Essentially, Bott has found that he can’t get the latest updates on his Windows Phone to work properly unless Verizon pushes out matching firmware, which is something the carrier has been dragging its feet on. Verizon feels no need to hurry up with pushing out new Windows Phone device firmware because the platform’s market share is already so small that it’s better served by focussing on flagship Android handsets.

This leads to a vicious cycle where Windows Phone users get frustrated and quit the platform due to lack of carrier support while carriers feel vindicated in their decision to neglect it because people are abandoning it.

“And as long as U.S.-based carriers, including the biggest of them all, Verizon, are able to drag their feet and ignore Windows as a mobile platform, it’s unlikely that anything Microsoft can do will be able to make a dent in its market share in the United States,” fumes Bott, who for the time being has switched to the iPhone 6 Plus.

Be sure to check out Bott’s whole rant by clicking the source link below.

Brad Reed
Brad Reed Staff Writer

Brad Reed has written about technology for over eight years at BGR.com and Network World. Prior to that, he wrote freelance stories for political publications such as AlterNet and the American Prospect. He has a Master's Degree in Business and Economics Journalism from Boston University.