The New York Police Department has confirmed it will begin transitioning to iPhones for its 36,000 police officers in the fall, less than one year after completing a rollout of Windows Phones to its police force.

NYPD windows phone

Image: ABC7 Eyewitness News - WABC-TV New York

Jessica Tisch, the NYPD's Deputy Commissioner of Information Technology, said "improvements in Apple controls" will enable the department to "responsibly and cost effectively move its mobility initiative to the Apple platform."

When the NYPD chose Windows Phone devices in 2014, Tisch said "neither iOS nor Android phones allowed it to cost-effectively utilize prior investment in custom Windows applications" that it had deployed at the time.

"Moreover, we assessed that the Windows platform would be most effective at achieving our goal of securing 36,000 devices that would be used for sensitive law enforcement operations," added Tisch. "This was of paramount importance."

The NYPD said its contract provided for Nokia's Lumia smartphones at no cost. It also allowed for the department to replace the smartphones with devices of its choosing two years later, also at no cost.

As a result, the NYPD said its smartphone initiative is 45 percent under budget. Based on its current rate of spending, the department expects to stretch what was initially budgeted at two years of spending to more than four years.

Tisch said the NYPD's mobility initiative has made its police officers "smarter, faster, and more agile" in their response to 911 calls, with response times down more than 8 percent compared to an unspecified period.

Top Rated Comments

69Mustang Avatar
107 months ago
I can understand their likely decision to initially use Window's phones, as I'm sure they're running a Window's computer system. But even still, what IT or tech consultant, let alone internal folks at NYPD would have thought Window's phones were going to have a future? They've been losing marketshare for years, and the writing has been on the wall for a long time. I imagine the decision lined someone's pockets with a bunch of money or a future job opportunity at MS.
Based on the article's content, the decision to go with Windows phones was an easy one to make. The phones integrated with already deployed software. The phones came at no cost. The upgrades would come at no cost. It allowed them to come in 45% under budget. It has allowed them to stretch a 2 year budget into a 4 year budget. I'm at a loss to find anything wrong with their decision at the time in 2014. Also at a loss to see where someone's pocket got lined in that scenario.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
FelixDerKater Avatar
107 months ago
Based on the article's content, the decision to go with Windows phones was an easy one to make. The phones integrated with already deployed software. The phones came at no cost. The upgrades would come at no cost. It allowed them to come in 45% under budget. It has allowed them to stretch a 2 year budget into a 4 year budget. I'm at a loss to find anything wrong with their decision at the time in 2014. Also at a loss to see where someone's pocket got lined in that scenario.
And now we have the first person to actually read the article instead of just forming a conclusion off the headline.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kaibelf Avatar
107 months ago
Look like they got what they paid for.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jmgregory1 Avatar
107 months ago
I can understand their likely decision to initially use Window's phones, as I'm sure they're running a Window's computer system. But even still, what IT or tech consultant, let alone internal folks at NYPD would have thought Window's phones were going to have a future? They've been losing marketshare for years, and the writing has been on the wall for a long time. I imagine the decision lined someone's pockets with a bunch of money or a future job opportunity at MS.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
trellus Avatar
107 months ago
Based on the article's content, the decision to go with Windows phones was an easy one to make. The phones integrated with already deployed software. The phones came at no cost. The upgrades would come at no cost. It allowed them to come in 45% under budget. It has allowed them to stretch a 2 year budget into a 4 year budget. I'm at a loss to find anything wrong with their decision at the time in 2014. Also at a loss to see where someone's pocket got lined in that scenario.
+1 -- I would have made the same decision, given those parameters. That bought them time and saved some serious coin, and now they can easily afford to make the decision they have made now, and which was also quite a good one for now! :)
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
democracyrules Avatar
107 months ago
('https://www.macrumors.com/2017/08/29/nypd-confirms-transition-to-iphones/')


The New York Police Department has confirmed ('http://nypdnews.com/2017/08/deputy-commissioner-information-technology-jessica-tischs-response-ny-post-article/') it will begin transitioning to iPhones ('https://www.macrumors.com/2017/08/28/nypd-said-to-replace-windows-phones-with-iphones-starting-this-year/') for its 36,000 police officers in the fall, less than one year after completing a rollout of Windows Phones to its police force.


Image: ABC7 Eyewitness News - WABC-TV New York

Jessica Tisch, the NYPD's Deputy Commissioner of Information Technology, said "improvements in Apple controls" will enable the department to "responsibly and cost effectively move its mobility initiative to the Apple platform."

When the NYPD chose Windows Phone devices in 2014, Tisch said "neither iOS nor Android phones allowed it to cost-effectively utilize prior investment in custom Windows applications" that it had deployed at the time.

"Moreover, we assessed that the Windows platform would be most effective at achieving our goal of securing 36,000 devices that would be used for sensitive law enforcement operations," added Tisch. "This was of paramount importance."

The NYPD said its contract provided for Nokia's Lumia smartphones at no cost. It also allowed for the department to replace the smartphones with devices of its choosing two years later, also at no cost.

As a result, the NYPD said its smartphone initiative is 45 percent under budget. Based on its current rate of spending, the department expects to stretch what was initially budgeted at two years of spending to more than four years.

Tisch said the NYPD's mobility initiative has made its police officers "smarter, faster, and more agile" in their response to 911 calls, with response times down more than 8 percent compared to an unspecified period.

Article Link: NYPD Defends Choosing Windows Phones, Confirms Plans to Switch to iPhones ('https://www.macrumors.com/2017/08/29/nypd-confirms-transition-to-iphones/')
Totally agree with NYPD decision to change windows phone to iPhones. It is a superb decision considering iphone is the most secured smartphone in the planet. Law enforcements need the most secured phone, which only iPhone can meet the need. [emoji1303][emoji1303][emoji1303][emoji1303]
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Early Black Friday Deals 1

The Best Early Black Friday Apple Deals on AirPods, Apple Watch, iPad, and More

Saturday November 8, 2025 6:16 am PST by
We're officially in the month of Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When ...
2024 iPhone Boxes Feature

Apple Adjusts Trade-In Values for iPhones, iPads, Macs, and More

Thursday November 6, 2025 11:12 am PST by
Apple today updated its trade-in values for select iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models. Trade-ins can be completed on Apple's website, or at an Apple Store. The charts below provide an overview of Apple's current and previous trade-in values in the U.S., according to its website. Maximum values for most devices either decreased or saw no change, but the iPad Air received a slight bump. ...
All Screen iPhone 2027 Feature 1

Apple to Hide Selfie Camera Under Display of 20th Anniversary iPhone

Monday November 10, 2025 1:55 am PST by
Apple will conceal the front-facing camera under the screen of its 2027 iPhone, a Chinese leaker said today, corroborating reports that Apple's 20th anniversary iPhone will have no visible cutouts in the display. Weibo-based account Digital Chat Station said Apple's development of under-screen camera technology was progressing as planned for adoption in 2027, one year after it will...
Apple fitness plus feature

Future of Apple Fitness+ 'Under Review'

Sunday November 9, 2025 5:30 am PST by
The future of Apple Fitness+ is "under review" amid a reorganization of the service, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that Apple Fitness+ remains one of the company's "weakest digital offerings." The service apparently suffers from high churn and little revenue. Nevertheless, Fitness+ has a small, loyal fanbase that...
iOS 26

iOS 26.1 Available Now With These 8 New Features

Monday November 3, 2025 5:54 am PST by
Following more than a month of beta testing, Apple released iOS 26.1 on Monday, November 3. The update includes a handful of new features and changes, including the ability to adjust the look of Liquid Glass and more. Below, we outline iOS 26.1's key new features. Liquid Glass Toggle iOS 26.1 lets you choose your preferred look for Liquid Glass. In the Settings app, under Display...
Liquid Glass General Feature

Apple Shares Liquid Glass Design Gallery

Thursday November 6, 2025 2:45 pm PST by
Apple is promoting the new Liquid Glass design in iOS 26, showing off the ways that third-party developers are embracing the aesthetic in their apps. On its developer website, Apple is featuring a visual gallery that demonstrates how "teams of all sizes" are creating Liquid Glass experiences. The gallery features examples of Liquid Glass in apps for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac. Apple...
iPhone Satellite Feature

Apple Developing These 5 New Satellite Features for iPhone

Sunday November 9, 2025 6:07 am PST by
Apple is working on a series of new satellite connectivity features for the iPhone, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. In this week's "Power On" newsletter, Gurman revealed that the new features in development include: Apple Maps via satellite: Navigation in Apple Maps without cellular or Wi-Fi connectivity. Photos in Messages via satellite: Support for sending photos in the Messages...
maxresdefault

In-Depth iPhone Battery Experiment Pits Slow Charging Against Fast Charging

Friday November 7, 2025 1:19 pm PST by
HTX Studio this week shared the results from a six-month battery test that compared how fast charging and slow charging can affect battery life over time. Using six iPhone 12 models, the channel set up a system to drain the batteries from five percent and charge them to 100 percent over and over again. Three were fast charged, and three were slow charged. Another set of iPhones underwent...
m1 chip slide

Five Years of Apple Silicon: M1 to M5 Performance Comparison

Monday November 10, 2025 1:08 pm PST by
Today marks the fifth anniversary of the Apple silicon chip that replaced Intel chips in Apple's Mac lineup. The first Apple silicon chip, the M1, was unveiled on November 10, 2020. The M1 debuted in the MacBook Air, Mac mini, and 13-inch MacBook Pro. The M1 chip was impressive when it launched, featuring the "world's fastest CPU core" and industry-leading performance per watt, and it's only ...
airtag purple

Apple's Website Lists AirTag 4-Pack at Shockingly Low Price [Updated]

Friday November 7, 2025 6:40 am PST by
Apple's online store in the U.S. is suddenly offering a pack of four AirTags for just $29, which is the same price as a single AirTag. This is likely a pricing error, and it is unclear if orders will be fulfilled. Apple has not discounted the AirTag four-pack in any other countries that we checked. Delivery estimates are already pushing into late November to early December, suggesting...