Well, not entirely true as you could buy a Lumia ICON for quite some time - on an off with stock - from the Microsoft store, Amazon and perhaps other places.
Yes, you could still get it via Microsoft and other third party vendors as stocks were available. I was talking about Verizon specifically.
The second part of whether Windows Phone is DEAD ... just read the thread in these forums about the HP Elite X3 and other OEM Windows Phone coming soon. Yes, "targeted at Enterprise customers" but I will buy an HP Elite X3 the day it is available. In today's BYOD device world, what exactly separates "work vs personal" anyway.
You have a good point about the enterprise space. Microsoft, HP, and Dell are all VERY good at leveraging the enterprise space. How many people bought a Dell computer for personal use because that was what they used in the work place? Loads! That was how they all became household (i.e. personal) standards. If Microsoft can leverage the enterprise space then, I can see people wanting to migrate to Windows Mobile.
The part that is problematic with that strategy is that if developers don't produce the apps that users are used to having on iOS and Android, then consumers won't jump. I'm not talking about apps like Facebook and Instagram. I'm talking about apps for things like banking and such. Sure many of the BIG banks offer a Windows mobile app, but what about the smaller more local banks. My credit union does not offer a Windows app, but it does have an iOS and Android version. The iOS version even uses TouchID or eye scanning for authentication. Starbucks doesn't offer a Windows app, and SBUX the best third party app is now discontinued. Adobe doesn't offer a version of Lightroom Mobile for Windows mobile, but it has an iOS and Android version; even though historically Windows phones had better cameras that Lightroom could leverage. I can control my Canon EOS 6D directly from my iPhone and my Galaxy Tab S2; even from my SP3, but not from my Icon. If I'm away from my desktop or SP3, I can still download and edit the RAW images off of my camera to either my 6s+ or Tab S2, and upload. Is that niche? Not really. If it was so niche, then the major camera makers like Canon and Nikon wouldn't offer remote camera control apps; nor would Adobe offer Lightroom Mobile.
That is where Microsoft is losing the battle...getting developers to produce quality CONSUMER apps for them. So even if Microsoft were to make considerable headway in the enterprise space, they are still going to struggle in the consumer space. You've very astutely pointed out that we are in the BYOD era of mobile, but the vast majority of those devices are either iOS or Android powered, not Windows powered.
IMHO, Verizon may be fighting with Microsoft ... but, does anyone here think that Verizon is "foolish enough" to attempt to "block" HP and other large OEMs coming soon ???
http://forums.windowscentral.com/#windows-phones
I don't see Verizon out right blocking devices. That would be dumb! The issue would be whether the OEM includes the CDMA capabilities to work on Verizon's and other CDMA networks. Worldwide there are still a LOT of CDMA networks still running. That is the reason why the 950/950XL won't work on Verizon (or any other CDMA network); Microsoft did not enable CDMA. So if HP wants it to work on Verizon's network, it HAS to have CDMA enabled. That is the way it's going be until Verizon, and all of the other CDMA carriers, phase out their respective 3G networks; which many are in the process of doing.
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