NYPD to Scrap 36,000 Windows Phones and Replace Them With iPhones [Report]

The NYPD has to scrap 36,000 Windows phones it provided officers over the past two years because they are already obsolete and can't be upgraded, reports the New York Post.

The smartphones were purchased as part of a $160 million NYPD Mobility Initiative but just months after the last phone was handed out, officials are now planning to replace them all with brand new iPhones by the end of the year.

On July 11th, Microsoft ended support for Windows Phone 8.1. The company said there will be no new security updates, non-security updates, free or paid assisted support options or online technical content updates for devices running Windows Phone 8.1 or earlier.


The decision to buy the now obsolete devices is being blamed on NYPD Deputy Commissioner for Information Technology Jessica Tisch who "drove the whole process".

“Nobody purchases 36,000 phones based on the judgment of one person,” a source said. “I don’t care if you’re Jesus f- -king Christ, you get a panel of experts.”

The NYPD bought the Lumia 830, released in October 2014, and the Lumia 640XL, released in March 2015. In comparison, the iPhone 6, released in September 2014, is still receiving regular updates from Apple.

Despite the poor shelf life of Microsoft's phones, they have been hailed for giving officers the ability to receive alerts, search law enforcement databases, file reports and even watch in real time as 911 dispatchers type up emergency calls.


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