Microsoft puts development of Asha and S40 phones on hold

Microsoft is not only stopping the Nokia X line of cheap Android devices, but also developing Asha budget phones that run on a modified version of S40. Presumably no more Asha devices will be released.

Stephen Elop, former CEO of Nokia, said on Thursday that Microsoft will stop releasing updates or adding updates to Nokia X smartphones. This will also apply to Asha devices, writes The Verge. Within 1.5 years, all support for these devices will be discontinued. Although Elop did not release anything about whether Microsoft will release new Asha devices, the chance seems small.

The Asha budget phones run on the S40 operating system and were touted by Nokia as ‘smartphones’. Nevertheless, Asha does not have features such as multitasking and a complete browser, so that the devices are in practice classified in the category of feature phones.

Microsoft announced last week that it has completed the acquisition of Nokia’s telephone division. The company would try to persuade owners of Asha and X devices to make the switch to smartphones that run on Windows Phone, such as the Lumia series.