Microsoft's push is on to clear Lumia 950, 950XL phone inventory
Microsoft is offering U.S. and Canadian users a limited-time sale on its Lumia 950/950 XL phones that may help the company get rid of excess inventory.
From April 25 through May 1 -- or "while supplies last" -- users can purchase an unlocked Lumia 950 XL from the Microsoft Store and get a free Lumia 950. An unlocked Lumia 950 XL costs $650 from Microsoft; the Lumia 950, $550.
The new deal is being offered in addition to the various trade-in deals for older Lumia phones for the Lumia 950/950 XL models.
The new buy-one/get-one-free offer on Microsoft's latest Lumia flagship phones comes on the heels of the company's latest revelation of increasingly poor Lumia phone sales as part of its Q3 FY'16 earnings. Officials said Microsoft was exiting the quarter with "relatively high channel inventory" of unsold Lumia phones.
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During last week's earnings announcement, Microsoft execs noted that Microsoft is expecting its Windows Phone "year over year revenue declines to deepen in (fiscal) Q4 as we work through our Lumia channel position."
Microsoft is following the strategy officials announced a year ago to try to stem its losses in phones by sharply reducing the number of Windows Phones models it is offering and refocusing on building relationships with carriers that are supportive of Windows Phone.
Rumor has it that Microsoft will likely not launch any more of its own phones this calendar year. If the company decides to introduce new Microsoft-made/branded Windows Phones, the earliest that is expected to happen is in the Spring of 2017, according to my sources.
In other Windows Phone-related news, Microsoft has made available its Windows Phone Word Flow keyboard to iPhone users. The Word Flow keyboard for iPhone is available now as a free download. Microsoft released its Hub keyboard for iOS earlier this year.