WhatsApp Drops Support for Blackberry and other old OS
Today WhatsApp announced that it will no longer support a number of older device operating systems because it wishes to focus any development "on the mobile platforms the vast majority of people use."
The operating systems said to be affected by this include Blackberry 10 and a variety of Nokia, Windows and Android systems.
The majority of these operating systems are known as "legacy operating systems," which means updates are no longer produced and new devices are not installed with it. However this does NOT include Blackberry 10, which is still used, updated and developed by Blackberry themselves, as a relatively new OS (launched in Jan 2013).
WhatsApp have announced that they are going to stop supporting these systems by the end of 2016.
Whilst the Facebook owned company said that Blackberry don't make up enough of their market, it's interesting to note that Blackberry sold 7 million phones in 2014. Whilst it is unclear how many people will be affected at this stage, it will quite easily be at least tens of millions of phones that will be without WhatsApp.
The company wrote some worldly advice in their blog post for these people. It seems to be "get a newer phone" which is pretty insensitive and insincere: "If you use one of these affected mobile devices, we recommend upgrading to a newer Android, iPhone, or Windows Phone before the end of 2016 to continue using WhatsApp.”
Whether WhatsApp doing this will open a niche in the market for other messenger apps or whether it will effect sales of Blackberry, we simply do not know.
For the rest of us, we look forward to these exciting "developments" that the old phones were simply not capable of handling.
WhatsApp does say farewell and thank you for "the important part" these operating systems played in their story. For the full list of OS affected by the decision see below:
- Android 2.1
- Android 2.2
- Blackberry OS 7 or earlier
- Blackberry 10
- Nokia S40
- Nokia Symbian S60
- Windows Phone 7.1
 |
The majority of these operating systems are known as "legacy operating systems," which means updates are no longer produced and new devices are not installed with it. However this does NOT include Blackberry 10, which is still used, updated and developed by Blackberry themselves, as a relatively new OS (launched in Jan 2013).
WhatsApp have announced that they are going to stop supporting these systems by the end of 2016.
Whilst the Facebook owned company said that Blackberry don't make up enough of their market, it's interesting to note that Blackberry sold 7 million phones in 2014. Whilst it is unclear how many people will be affected at this stage, it will quite easily be at least tens of millions of phones that will be without WhatsApp.
The company wrote some worldly advice in their blog post for these people. It seems to be "get a newer phone" which is pretty insensitive and insincere: "If you use one of these affected mobile devices, we recommend upgrading to a newer Android, iPhone, or Windows Phone before the end of 2016 to continue using WhatsApp.”
Whether WhatsApp doing this will open a niche in the market for other messenger apps or whether it will effect sales of Blackberry, we simply do not know.
For the rest of us, we look forward to these exciting "developments" that the old phones were simply not capable of handling.
WhatsApp does say farewell and thank you for "the important part" these operating systems played in their story. For the full list of OS affected by the decision see below:
- Android 2.1
- Android 2.2
- Blackberry OS 7 or earlier
- Blackberry 10
- Nokia S40
- Nokia Symbian S60
- Windows Phone 7.1
Megan
is a longstanding content writer for Social Songbird as well as the company’s
social media manager. Her job is to not only write about social media but also
grow and maintain the Songbird Facebook and Twitter pages. She enjoys long
tweets in the rain and snuggling up to cat videos. Follow her @MeganAtSMF
Contact
us on Twitter,
on Facebook, or
leave your comments below. To find out about social media training or
management why not take a look at our website for more info: TheSMFGroup.com
WhatsApp Drops Support for Blackberry and other old OS
Reviewed by Unknown
on
Tuesday, March 01, 2016
Rating:
Reviewed by Unknown
on
Tuesday, March 01, 2016
Rating:
Unknown
Keeping you up to date on social media, digital marketing, apps, news & reviews. Social media, and digital marketing as a whole, are rapidly and constantly changing, adapting to new developments at an ever increasing rate. Just keeping up to date can be a nightmare. Our team of writers know their field, and keep an ear to the ground. We aim to keep you informed of all recent developments in the online world, and teach you a little something along the way. So whether you just want to stay connected, or gain some knowledge for yourself, the Social Songbird will keep on singing! More articles are posted every day so keep checking back! Join the discussion on Twitter - #SocialSongbird Or contact us directly - @SocialSongbird_
Entrepreneur, international speaker on Social Media Marketing. First one in the UK to write and speak in conferences about Twitter as a marketing tool. Consultant to Corporate Companies, Government Organizations, Marketing Managers and Business Owners.
Aspiring novelist with a passion for fantasy and crime thrillers. He hopes to one day drop that 'aspiring' prefix. He started as a writer and soon after he was made Executive Editor and Manager of the team at Social Songbird. A position he held for 5 years.
Adrienne is a passionate writer with experience in editing, content creation, and social media marketing. She’s a lover of animals, helping others improve their writing, and 2000s pop culture.
Musician, audio technician, professional tutor and a Cambridge university English student. Interested in writing, politics and obsessed with reading.
Recently graduated with a BA in English Literature from the University of Exeter, and he is about to study an MA in Journalism at the University of Sheffield. He is an aspiring journalist and novelist; in his free time he enjoys playing chess, listening to music and taking long walks through nature.
Lucy is an undergraduate BSc Politics and International Relations student at the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Anna Coopey is a 4th year UG student in Classics at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. She is a keen writer and researcher on a number of topics, varying from Modern Greek literature to revolutionary theory.
Ellie is a recent BA English Literature graduate and aspiring publisher with a passion for writing. Her favourite pastimes include reading and shopping.