NYPD will replace 36K Windows phones with iPhones

Windows-powered smartphones have all but disappeared from the markets around the world. The platform which works so well on desktops and laptops, never really adapted well to mobile phones. Android and iOS operating systems on the other hand reign supreme when it comes to this sector. The popularity of Windows Phone-powered handsets has become so low that even the NYPD has decided to replace these smartphones with Apple's iPhones.

What did the NYPD say?

The New York Police Department will replace the 36,000 Windows-powered Nokia devices that it assigned to officers on the job. This decision comes just months after the distribution of the windows-powered handsets were completed. Under Mayor Bill de Blassio, the NYPD bought the devices in a $160 million Mobility Initiative, which was touted as a major step for the police department to adapt to the 21st century.

Now the department is set to replace the devices with Apple smartphones. The move comes after it became clear that the Windows handsets were already obsolete and regular updates for the platform were not available.

Microsoft has announced that it would stop supporting the Windows platform on the smartphones, thus making it clear that these devices will be abandoned by the company.

The change from the Windows based handsets to iPhones will mean that custom made apps mainly required by officers doing their job will now have to be created for the iOS platform. Many people blame NYPD Deputy Commissioner for Information Technology Jessica Tisch for this mishap. It was under her judgement that the department was allotted Windows-powered handsets, instead of Android or iOS ones in the first place. Others feel that one person should not decide for the entire NYPD and that Tisch should have taken advice from a panel of experts before making the decision.

Why Microsoft shut down the Windows Phone support

Microsoft announced in June that it would no longer support the Windows 8.1 handsets that were present in the market. This essentially meant that the company was officially withdrawing from the market. An October 2016 survey, cited by the New York Post, found that Microsoft Windows Phones accounted for just 2.3 percent of the US market share, compared to the 65.2 percent share and 30.9 percent share of iOS and Android devices in the market, respectively.

The same Windows phones were being used by the Police Department in the busiest US city. The NYPD will finally get rid of the obsolete phones for proper iOS handsets. The Department said that it would discuss more regarding the matter once Tisch returns from her vacation on Monday.