Microsoft removes popular Lumia photo apps from Windows Phone Store
Microsoft today announced that it has removed several popular Lumia photo apps from the Windows Phone Store in a bid to focus on the core photos and video experience on the Windows Phone platform.
The Redmond has announced that several Nokia apps it gained after the acquisition of Nokia’s devices and services business have now been removed from the Windows Phone Store. Making the announcement, Microsoft has revealed that Lumia Storyteller, Lumia Beamer, Photobeamer, and Lumia Refocus online service will not be available anymore, and will not be updated from October 30, 2015. Other apps like Lumia Panorama and Video Uploader will continue to work, but they will not be updated and supported anymore.
Microsoft has revealed that these apps have been pulled from the Windows Phone Store with immediate effect, much to the chagrin of a lot of Windows Phone fans. Users who already have these apps installed on their phones can continue to use them. Once uninstalled, there will be no option to install them again.
While it’s fine to have a more streamlined experience, all these apps fulfilled several shortcomings of the Windows Phone platform. Nokia launched these apps to ignite interest in the developer community for Windows Phone, and at the same time it brought several missing features to Windows Phone to help its loyal fanbase enjoy the OS. Some of these apps, like Storyteller and Refocus were excellent and unique, so much so that several Android OEMs copied them later on. Without a ready replacement for these in place, Microsoft is shortchanging its small set of Windows Phone users once again.
