Post by Admin on May 26, 2016 5:56:55 GMT -9
PayPal to Microsoft, BlackBerry, and Amazon Kindle: Buh-Bye
The payments service says it is ceasing support for apps on these mobile platforms in order to focus more on Apple iOS and Google Android devices.
May 26, 2016 6:52 AM PDT
by Marguerite Reardon
PayPal is unloading a little baggage.
The online payments company said Wednesday in a blog post that it is ditching its apps made for Microsoft Windows Phone, BlackBerry and Amazon Kindle Fire. The news comes as PayPal is requiring its users to upgrade to the latest version of its app for Apple iPhone and Google Android users. June 30 will be the last day for Windows Phone, BlackBerry and Amazon Kindle users to access their PayPal apps.
PayPal's withdrawal of support from the three platforms underscores the control that Apple and Google exert over the market. The two companies accounted for 97 percent of smartphone sales in the first quarter, according to Gartner, leaving little justification for developers to support competitive platforms.
You likely see the effects around you, with most consumers rocking an iPhone or an Android-powered phone like a Samsung Galaxy S7. Microsoft on Wednesday said it is axing 1,850 jobs its smartphone business, which came on top of the 4,500 jobs it cut last week as a result of the divestiture of its basic phone assets, signaling an end to any grand ambitions about building its own mobile hardware. BlackBerry has made little progress with its phone, and has been mired in has-been status for years.
It's more surprising that PayPal would cease to support Amazon Kindle, an inexpensive tablet that remains popular. Amazon uses a variant of Android that makes it less compatible with the standard version of Google's operating systems. As a result, developers must fine tune their apps specifically for the online retailer's products.
PayPal offered little explanation.
"It was a difficult decision to no longer support the PayPal app on these mobile platforms," Joanna Lambert, PayPal's VP of consumer product, said in the blog. "But we believe it's the right thing to ensure we are investing our resources in creating the very best experiences for our customers."
Windows, Blackberry and Kindle Fire users will still be able to access PayPal via the mobile site and Windows Outlook.com users can still enable the PayPal add-in to send payments from the email app. BlackBerry users can also still send money via BlackBerry Messenger.
Android phones running version 4.03 or higher and Apple devices running iOS 8.1 or higher will be able to take advantage of the updated app, which offers a simplified way to send and request money, as well as a new home screen with relevant transaction details.
The payments service says it is ceasing support for apps on these mobile platforms in order to focus more on Apple iOS and Google Android devices.
May 26, 2016 6:52 AM PDT
by Marguerite Reardon
PayPal is unloading a little baggage.
The online payments company said Wednesday in a blog post that it is ditching its apps made for Microsoft Windows Phone, BlackBerry and Amazon Kindle Fire. The news comes as PayPal is requiring its users to upgrade to the latest version of its app for Apple iPhone and Google Android users. June 30 will be the last day for Windows Phone, BlackBerry and Amazon Kindle users to access their PayPal apps.
PayPal's withdrawal of support from the three platforms underscores the control that Apple and Google exert over the market. The two companies accounted for 97 percent of smartphone sales in the first quarter, according to Gartner, leaving little justification for developers to support competitive platforms.
You likely see the effects around you, with most consumers rocking an iPhone or an Android-powered phone like a Samsung Galaxy S7. Microsoft on Wednesday said it is axing 1,850 jobs its smartphone business, which came on top of the 4,500 jobs it cut last week as a result of the divestiture of its basic phone assets, signaling an end to any grand ambitions about building its own mobile hardware. BlackBerry has made little progress with its phone, and has been mired in has-been status for years.
It's more surprising that PayPal would cease to support Amazon Kindle, an inexpensive tablet that remains popular. Amazon uses a variant of Android that makes it less compatible with the standard version of Google's operating systems. As a result, developers must fine tune their apps specifically for the online retailer's products.
PayPal offered little explanation.
"It was a difficult decision to no longer support the PayPal app on these mobile platforms," Joanna Lambert, PayPal's VP of consumer product, said in the blog. "But we believe it's the right thing to ensure we are investing our resources in creating the very best experiences for our customers."
Windows, Blackberry and Kindle Fire users will still be able to access PayPal via the mobile site and Windows Outlook.com users can still enable the PayPal add-in to send payments from the email app. BlackBerry users can also still send money via BlackBerry Messenger.
Android phones running version 4.03 or higher and Apple devices running iOS 8.1 or higher will be able to take advantage of the updated app, which offers a simplified way to send and request money, as well as a new home screen with relevant transaction details.