Sometime last year WhatsApp had announced that it was ending support for the following platforms:
- BlackBerry OS and BlackBerry 10
- Nokia S40
- Nokia Symbian S60
- Android 2.1 and Android 2.2
- Windows Phone 7
- iPhone 3GS/iOS 6
The latest update to their blog states that they have extended support for some of the platforms. It is not clear however whether android versions older that 2.3 will continue to be supported.
UPDATE: You won’t be able to use WhatsApp on the following platforms for:
- Nokia Symbian S60 after June 30, 2017
- BlackBerry OS and BlackBerry 10 after December 31, 2017
- Windows Phone 8.0 and older after December 31, 2017
- Nokia S40 after December 31, 2018
- Android versions 2.3.7 and older after February 1, 2020
According to WhatsApp it will no longer actively develop for these platforms and as a result some features may stop functioning at any time.
This announcement is good news for most Zimbabweans who cannot afford to renew their devices very frequently. Android 2.3 is still very much in use in Zimbabwe with phones such as the Huawei y220 (the one which used to be sold in Econet shops).
