New York police to replace 36,000 Lumia smartphones – update

New York City Police Department to replace 36,000 Lumia phones purchased in the past two years. That’s because Microsoft recently announced it would no longer support the mobile operating system on which the smartphones run.

The information comes from sources from the New York Post. The paper writes that the phones were purchased as part of a $160 million “mobility initiative,” which Mayor De Blasio said should be “a big step into the 21st century.” But shortly after the phones were handed out, they are already to be replaced with new iPhones, the sources said. The decision has to do with Microsoft saying it will end support for Windows Phone 8.1 on July 11.

The decision to purchase the devices would come from a single person within the New York Police Department. According to the newspaper, several news sites expressed their surprise when it became known that the Lumias, the 830 and the 640XL, would be purchased. The decision was allegedly made because the police were already using Microsoft software for its video surveillance.

Although the phones were short-lived, they would have been of value to officers. For example, to receive notifications and to search databases. They were provided with about twelve specially developed apps for this, the newspaper reports.

Update, 14:34: Jessica Tisch, who was responsible for purchasing the phones, has responded to the newspaper’s report. She states that the telephones themselves were made available free of charge. At the time of purchase, iOS and Android would not have offered options to use “previous investments in Windows software.”