The publisher has just announced that its store no longer accepts new applications for the mobile or desktop version of its old Windows 8 operating system.
The last nail in the Windows 8 coffin has just been driven in. As of October 31, new applications for Windows Phone 8.x or Windows 8/8.1 will no longer be accepted by the Microsoft Store. Developers can still release updates for old applications, but will no longer be available from July 1, 2019, for devices with Windows Phone 8.x and July 1, 2023, for computers with Windows 8/8.1. Only Windows 10 machines still have access to updates for these applications, and Microsoft recommends that developers upgrade to the Universal Windows Platform (UWP) to ensure optimal operation under Windows 10.
Windows 8 still holds a small market share for computers
This news is not surprising, as it is part of Microsoft’s operating system lifecycle strategy. The first nail was the publisher’s announcement to end support for Windows Phone 8.1 in July 2017, which meant that the operating system could no longer benefit from updates. Windows 8.1 can still receive security updates until January 10, 2023. According to NetMarketShare analysis, the market share of Windows 8/8.1 is only about 6.8% for laptops and desktops, compared to 43% for Windows 7 and 33% for Windows 10, and is almost insignificant in the smartphone market with 0.04%.
Source: Microsoft