Background

Windows Phone is a family of operating systems for smartphones developed by Microsoft. Windows Phone was launched in October 2010, though work on the Windows Mobile project may have begun as early as 2004. Windows Phone replaced Windows Mobile and Zune and was primarily aimed at the consumer market.

The Windows Phone 7 was launched in October 2010 and the Windows Phone 8 succeeded the 7 in 2012. The Windows 8 operating system was incompatible with all existing Windows Phone 7 phones. However, Windows Phone 8 still supported applications that were originally developed for Windows Phone 7. In 2014, the Windows Phone 8.1 update introduced the Windows Runtime platform (which supports cross-platform applications between Windows Personal Computers (PCs) and Windows phone), and the Cortana virtual assistant. Microsoft released Windows 10 Mobile in 2015, which increased integration with the Windows 10 PC operating system.

In 2011, Microsoft and Nokia announced a partnership that was meant to become a new international ecosystem that would compete with Android and iOS operating systems. Nokia’s Lumia series devices represented the majority of Windows Phone smartphones sold by 2013. Microsoft and Nokia announced the integration of both companies’ services, including Bing, the integration of Nokia Maps and Bing Maps, and the integration of the Windows Phone Store with Nokia’s Ovi store.

The final Windows Phone update was released in June 2015. Windows Phone is now a discontinued family of operating systems.

Identification

Windows phones are usually branded with both the Windows logo and "Microsoft" either on the front or rear of the device.

Additional Information