hopstop3Transit navigation service HopStop, newly acquired by Apple, has been pulled from Microsoft’s Windows Phone without explanation.

Is it a coincidence? HopStop’s well-reviewed app remains available for Android and, of course, for iPhone. But its listing in the Windows Phone app store now says, “This app is no longer published.”

Richard Hay of Windows Observer posted about the disappearance this evening after one of his Twitter followers, Roman David DeSilva, received a message in the app (at right) saying that HopStop “no longer supports the Windows platform.”

HopStop was available for download in the Windows Phone Marketplace as recently as yesterday, according to Bing’s search cache. The Windows Phone app has also disappeared from this mobile app page on HopStop’s site. It was there as recently as July 11, according to Google’s search cache.

Windows Phone needs more apps these days, not less, and this is a notable loss. HopStop had been on Microsoft’s mobile platform since Windows Phone 7.

Let the conspiracy theories begin. But it’s hard to imagine Apple being all that concerned about Windows Phone at this point. There must be more to the story here. I’ve sent messages to a few people, including HopStop representatives, to see if I can get more info.

Bloomberg News and AllThingsD have more on the HopStop acquisition.

Apple also just acquired Canadian startup Locationary, apparently part of a strategy to improve Maps for iOS — the app that resulted in an apology from Tim Cook last year.

Update, Saturday afternoon: HopStop CEO Joe Meyer referred me to an Apple spokesperson, from whom I’m now waiting to hear back.

Thanks to Richard Burte for the tip.

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