Microsoft extends Windows Phone 7.8 support until October 14

Microsoft has quietly extended support for Windows Phone 7.8. Support for the mobile operating system was supposed to end last week, but the software giant now says it will end in two weeks.

Microsoft did not disclose a reason for the extension, so it is not clear whether there may be a technical cause for it. Support will now not end on September 9, but on October 14. From that day on, there will be no more updates with new features for Windows Phone 7.8.

Microsoft has been encouraging users of the outdated operating system for some time to switch to the newer version, Windows Phone 8. That operating system has a renewed kernel after Microsoft changed that from Windows CE to the regular Windows kernel.

The software giant stopped supporting Skype for Windows Phone 7.8 in August. This means that users of devices with that operating system can no longer use the VoIP service, even if they have had the app on their device for years.