WhatsApp Drops Support For BlackBerry And Others, Recommends Affected Users 'Upgrade' Their Device

Facebook Inc FB's WhatsApp announced on a blog post on Monday that it will discontinue service for certain Android, BlackBerry Ltd BBRY and Microsoft Corporation MSFT platforms and devices. WhatsApp said by the end of 2016 it iwll no longer offer support fow the following mobile platforms: 1) BlackBerry, including BlackBerry 10, 2) Nokia S40, 3) Nokia Symbian S60, 4) Android 2.1 and Android 2.2, and 5) Windows Phone 7.1. WhatsApp noted that when it began operating back in 2009, around 70 percent of smartphones had operating systems offered by BlackBerry ad Nokia. Today, Google, Apple and Microsoft devices account for around 99.5 percent of all devices sold. The company noted that the devices affected do not "offer the kind of capabilities" needed to expand features in the future. "This was a tough decision for us to make, but the right one in order to give people better ways to keep in touch with friends, family, and loved ones using WhatsApp," the company further stated in its blog. Finally, WhatsApp recommends that affected users upgrade their device to a new Android, iPhone, or Windows Phone before the end of 2016 to continue using the instant messaging service.