Skype stops caring about Windows Mobile – kills app

The danger in announcing something new (especially when delivery is so far away) is customers stop paying attention to your current offering. Such is the case with Skype for Windows Mobile as they’ve decided its pointless to continue supporting their app for the OS now that Windows Phone 7 Series is on the horizon. Microsoft announced the new mobile phone operating system earlier this month at the Mobile World Congress and points to the holidays before we’ll see it.

There is plenty of excitement around the newly announced Windows Phone 7 Series (WP7S). The older platform, Windows Mobile will continue to live on as Windows Phone Classic. However, Skype believes it’s a lost cause and has decided to pull that app from its available downloads. Presumably, Skypes got the data on how many downloaded the app, and how many are using the app on Windows Mobile devices; surely, this was calculated.

Skype responded in an email, “With the latest version of the Windows Mobile OS (those prior to Windows Phones 7), it’s become increasingly challenging for Skype to maintain a mobile app which behaves as our users would expect it to –- making the call come from the earpiece rather than the main speaker, for example. This is one example of a quirk which has become detrimental to the overall mobile Skype experience –- and which are potentially very confusing (or frustrating) for the first time user in particular.”

It’s an interesting move to pull the app, rather than just let it sit and offer it as-is. It’s just another sign how far Windows Mobile is off the mark.

Read: [InformationWeek]