In December, Google confirmed that after January 30th, it would no longer support adding new devices for the Exchange Active Sync protocol for accessing Gmail, Calendar and Contacts. That means users of Windows Phone smartphones and Windows 8 PCs may not be able to access Gmail with new devices. A few days later, Microsoft said they were"very surprised" at Google's decision.

Now The Verge reports that, according to a statement from Microsoft, Windows Phone owners will still be able to sync up to their Gmail account via the IMAP protocol, which was one of the three that Google said it would support in place of EAS. The statement added:

Like many, we are surprised and disappointed that Google wants to make it more difficult for customers to connect their accounts to their devices. If you want better email, especially for your phone or tablet, now is a perfect time to join the millions who have already made the choice to upgrade to Outlook.com.

There's still no word on if Google's other two supported protocols, CalDAV and CardDAV, will also be supported by Microsoft. The clock is currently ticking for EAS support in Gmail to end so we would suggest if you use Gmail with your Windows Phone or Windows 8 product you go ahead and get those devices set up right now before the deadline is reached.

Source: The Verge | Image via Google