It’s a grim time to be a fan of Windows phones, and it’s been that way for some time now. Market share has plummeted, and Microsoft’s own attention to the platform seems meagre at best.

The Lumia 950 and 950 XL weren’t the big Windows Phone saviours that some hoped they would be, and the sluggish Lumia 650 can’t pick up the slack. Even worse, Microsoft cut a lot of existing Windows handsets out of the Windows 10 Mobile upgrade, angering a lot of longtime fans. And Microsoft seems more interested in putting apps on Android and iOS instead.

In case it’s not clear, Windows smartphones aren’t a big focus for Microsoft right now. And, at the Build developers conference – where Windows Phone got nearly zero attention – Windows head Terry Myerson made that abundantly clear to The Verge.

“We’re fully committed to that 4-inch screen, there will be a time for it to be our focus, but right now it’s part of the family but it’s not the core of where I hope to generate developer interest over the next year,” said Myerson. “There’s no lack of recognition to realize how important that form factor is, but for Microsoft with Windows and for our platform, it’s the wrong place for us to lead.”

It’s not the most reassuring message to Windows phone owners – or prospective ones – despite his initial statement. He added, “If you wanted to reach a lot of phone customers, Windows Phone isn’t the way to do it.”

Still, Myerson claims that Microsoft still has plans ahead for Windows handsets… but it’s not going to be anytime soon. “We’re going to do some cool things with phones, but this year phones are an important part of our family but not the tip of the spear.”

Source: The Verge