German car manufacturer BMW has planned to abandon Windows phones and focus entirely on the iOS and Android platform.
The official DriveNow app is no longer supported on the Windows phones, according to a report coming from German site WindowsArea, with a probable confirmation from BMW indicating that users can still reserve a vehicle by phone.
However, this isn’t the most convenient workaround, but with no support for the app, Windows phone users need to be provided with alternatives. In most cases, the easiest way to deal with the removal of a mobile app was to turn to the browser and point it to the mobile website of the service, but none are available this time.
On the other hand, a third-party app called Free2Move comes with similar features and, more importantly, with support for BMW’s DriveNow, plus a number of other car sharing services, like car2go and eMio.
“Thank you very much for your email. Unfortunately, the latest version of our app does not support Windows Phone. However, you can always reserve a vehicle with a free call at our customer service at 0 800 07 07 02. You can then open it with the customer card. Customer service is available around the clock,” an official statement from the company reads.
Obviously, the Android and iOS clients will continue to be supported and for a good reason: these are the platforms where most users are, and in the case of Windows phones, investing in an operating system with a market share below 0.5 percent makes absolutely no sense.
Unfortunately, Microsoft remains tight-lipped on the future of its mobile platform despite the growing number of developers and users leaving for Android and iOS. The company has recently reiterated its commitment to phones, but aside from vague statements, there are no specifics available at this point.
