March 08, 2024 – Recent reports from Tianyancha, a Chinese corporate information platform, reveal that Microsoft Mobile Communication Co., Ltd. has undergone a significant change in its business status, shifting from “active” to “cancelled.”
Established in March 1995, the company boasted a rich history spanning 29 years and was led by Benjamin O. Orndorff as its legal representative. With a registered capital of approximately $138 million, it was jointly owned by Microsoft Mobile (China) Investment Co., Ltd. and Microsoft Mobile Oy, holding 95.5% and 4.5% stakes, respectively.
The company’s extensive scope of operations encompassed the development, promotion, and provision of technical support, transfers, and services for communication equipment, electronic products, mobile phones, computer software, and hardware.
The cancellation of the company marks another chapter in Microsoft’s chequered history with Windows Phone (WP) devices. In October 2010, Microsoft officially unveiled the first version of its Windows Phone smartphone operating system, WP7. However, just two years later, in June 2012, the tech giant announced a new operating system, Windows Phone 8, which unfortunately did not support upgrades from WP7 and WP7.5 devices. This left many early adopters, including those who had invested in high-end Lumia 900 handsets, feeling betrayed and their devices obsolete.
Subsequently, with the rollout of Windows 10 Mobile, users discovered that Microsoft’s promise of upgrading all WP8.1 phones to the new OS was hollow. This effectively signaled the beginning of the end for the WP platform.
Despite several attempts to revive its mobile ambitions, including the release of the Surface Duo and Surface Duo 2 folding phones in recent years, Microsoft has ultimately had to concede defeat in the fiercely competitive mobile market.
The question remains, did you ever own a Windows Phone device? The once-promising platform, which boasted unique features and a sleek interface, is now a footnote in the annals of technology history.
