Microsoft may be planning the end of its Lumia range of phones going by the latest round of rumors. The writing’s been on the wall for the smartphone series for a while now, with numerous reports about declining sales in the face of rivals like Apple and Google.
To recall, the launch of the Lumia 650 back in February this year triggered speculation that it would be the last Lumia offering ever. Microsoft has indeed not released a single phone under the lineup since then. Instead, it’s been issuing major price cuts for members of the family like the Lumia 650, 950 and 950 XL.
An anonymous Microsoft employee is now alleging that the tech behemoth is preparing to end vending of the range in December 2016. However, WinBeta thinks the brand may just stop manufacturing the devices rather than ending its sales altogether. The cut in costs could be part of a larger effort to get rid of remaining stock.
Also Read: Microsoft to launch Surface All-in-One PC in late October
Other than the unnamed tipster, there are several other clues to indicate that Microsoft is planning to move on from the Lumia name. The company’s physical and online stores have been moving focus away from the handsets, whether by shifting the products into smaller areas or removing links to the phones from its US homepage.
It’s not all bad news for Microsoft fans out there. The death of the Lumia might just be the manufacturer’s way of clearing the path for the Surface Phone. Talk about the smartphone flared up recently when Microsoft’s Director of Engineering (Windows Fundamentals) Laura Butler actually namedropped the phone in two vague tweets.
One post states that the Surface Phone is ‘not NOT confirmed,’ while another mentions a Surface iPhone. There’s no way to tell what Microsoft is planning for its smartphones division yet. We’ll let you know if any concrete information comes our way.