WhatsApp is going to end support for the Nokia Symbian OS after 31 December 2016, putting into motion its plan to abandon older software in favor of newer ones like iOS and Android. The company had first announced this sad news earlier this year, but had failed to specify a date for when this shift would occur.
As per an image posted by All About Symbian, WhatsApp has started sending out a notification to Nokia Symbian users telling them that they won’t be able to utilize the chat app after 31 December as it won’t be supporting their handset after that date. The company may end support for the other banished software after that day as well.
To recall, WhatsApp had formally announced the names of the platforms it was planning to let go of back in February 2016. This list includes the likes of BlackBerry (including BlackBerry 10), Android 2.1, Android 2.2, iPhone 3GS/iOS 6, Windows Phone 7.1, Nokia S40, and Nokia Symbian S60.
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WhatsApp had explained the reasoning behind its decision by pointing out that the older operating systems don’t offer the kind of capabilities which it needs to expand its features in the long-term. The decision makes a certain kind of sense from a business perspective.
Nokia and BlackBerry have gone from dominating 70% of the market share in 2009 to almost nothing now thanks to phones running Android, Windows Phone OS and iOS laying claim to 99.5% of sales today. Stubborn loyalists will now be forced to make a decision, either choosing to give up WhatsApp or making the leap to newer platforms.