Is Microsoft going to do ANYTHING to help WIndows Phone, or just let it die ?

[DavidinCT]

The news on Windows Phone / Windows 10 Mobile is very dim. Market share has dropped lower then blackberry, Apps are going away like crazy, companies who used it are changing to Android, and carriers have not seen new devices in a long time...

IS this a way for Microsoft to give up on it ? Do they plan to promote it again, or is it completely done ? When will their be good news with Windows Phone ?

There is no other way to look at the news, it looks like the time to move on is now, it's a great OS but, with NO support from Microsoft, it's looking like it's time to just go.

 

[Penny_1]

The only thing I would add is that Verizon and Sprint users are more up the creek than GSM buyers. But that's not exactly Microsoft's doing, that's more the carriers themselves not wanting to support the OS.

This is the part that gets to me. A lot of people say "well, it's YOUR choice whether or not you want to stick it out with Windows Phone."

Well, unfortunately, it is not my choice. It is impractical for me to leave Verizon, and on Verizon, the only choice I have is the Lumia 735. It would be one thing if I had choices like the Lumia 950 or HP Elite X3. Those of you who do have that choice -- trust me, you don't have quite the same level of frustration that we do.

This is not to say that Microsoft's long term strategy will definitely not work, or to complain about the state of Windows Mobile. Just pointing out this pain point that people sometimes seem to miss.

 

[Kevin Rush]

This is the part that gets to me. A lot of people say "well, it's YOUR choice whether or not you want to stick it out with Windows Phone."

Well, unfortunately, it is not my choice. It is impractical for me to leave Verizon, and on Verizon, the only choice I have is the Lumia 735. It would be one thing if I had choices like the Lumia 950 or HP Elite X3. Those of you who do have that choice -- trust me, you don't have quite the same level of frustration that we do.

This is not to say that Microsoft's long term strategy will definitely not work, or to complain about the state of Windows Mobile. Just pointing out this pain point that people sometimes seem to miss.

Respectively, have you actually tested the other carriers recently?
.
My wife and I have been long term Verizon customers and have believed their marketing message that they have the best coverage.
.
Well, since Verizon doesn't have Windows phones for us, we decided to test them. We purchased "outright" from Microsoft two new Lumias and a prepaid month-to-month sim card from AT&T and T-Mobile. We are in the second month of testing the services. So far, we have determined that all three services are excellent. So far, it doesn't seem that Verizon has the advantage they claim to have. Certainly, Verizon has great brainwashing marketing. We'll continue our "research" another month and then decide which carriers to drop. Both AT&T and T-Mobile are much less expensive than Verizon.

Don't believe the marketing. Test it for yourself.

Best Wishes

 

[fatclue_98]

Respectively, have you actually tested the other carriers recently?
.
My wife and I have been long term Verizon customers and have believed their marketing message that they have the best coverage.
.
Well, since Verizon doesn't have Windows phones for us, we decided to test them. We purchased "outright" from Microsoft two new Lumias and a prepaid month-to-month sim card from AT&T and T-Mobile. We are in the second month of testing the services. So far, we have determined that all three services are excellent. So far, it doesn't seem that Verizon has the advantage they claim to have. Certainly, Verizon has great brainwashing marketing. We'll continue our "research" another month and then decide which carriers to drop. Both AT&T and T-Mobile are much less expensive than Verizon.

Don't believe the marketing. Test it for yourself.

Best Wishes

I don't doubt your experience one bit but it really depends where you are. Even on T-Mobile's Enhanced LTE Band 12 there are serious holes in their service where Verizon barely flinches. I'm in Miami which isn't exactly a one-horse town and even up the coast into Palm Beach the situation is the same. I just can't justify Big Red's pricing even though I can afford it.

 

[a5cent]

Don't believe the marketing. Test it for yourself.

I fully support this statement! If it is marketing or advertising (from carriers or anyone else), you have every reason to reject every word of it outright. This is standard procedure in my neck of the woods. It always leaves out some of the truth, and is often even misinformation. Test it yourself or ask friends to be certain.

 

[nate0]

haha. This thread has the most activity currently out of all of them, but no Dan yet....

 

[Penny_1]

Respectively, have you actually tested the other carriers recently?
.
My wife and I have been long term Verizon customers and have believed their marketing message that they have the best coverage.
.
Well, since Verizon doesn't have Windows phones for us, we decided to test them. We purchased "outright" from Microsoft two new Lumias and a prepaid month-to-month sim card from AT&T and T-Mobile. We are in the second month of testing the services. So far, we have determined that all three services are excellent. So far, it doesn't seem that Verizon has the advantage they claim to have. Certainly, Verizon has great brainwashing marketing. We'll continue our "research" another month and then decide which carriers to drop. Both AT&T and T-Mobile are much less expensive than Verizon.

Don't believe the marketing. Test it for yourself.

Best Wishes

I appreciate your response, but the network reliability and coverage is not my main motivation to stay on Verizon. I'm on a family plan with 6 lines, each of which are at different stages of their contract term. The impractical part for me is to convince my family members that we should all pay to terminate and move to another network. Nobody else on my plan cares about Windows Mobile, and we've been on Verizon since around 2000.

So that is the real reason why, for better or worse, it is impractical for me to leave. Maybe I split off the family plan and switch when my current term is up, maybe I don't. We'll see when that bridge needs to be crossed.

 

[Carl Erics]

stay with the windows phone. no apps are really needed and most are just annoying

 

[fatclue_98]

it is impractical for me to leave

Say no more.

 

[Marianopoli]

Well I have all major OS and to be fair and honest, none of them are really great. I usually switch between android and windows 10 mobile, with I still prefer. They ALL have bugs!

Since about two years, watching smartphone review is becoming such a boring thing.. More specs, more "premium" body, more useless stuff...

I'm a project manager in architecture, my gadget must help me achieving something instead of just being nice to look at or offering useless apps like Facebook with I don't even time to waste on.

With the creator update on my Surface Book, I can say we are getting very close to something incredibly useful ! I love it! Now, we need to see something that good on mobile... Continuum was a very good start and now it has to reach a new level. Why good? Because it is adaptable to context, as something "smart" should always be..

 

[ddfs]

I'am a big fan of WP devices and wouldn't like to see the windows phone death soon...

 

[FXi2]

Using Icon and a venerable HTC 8x on VZ and still love what they can do. We have IOS tablets. But few things we use apps for would be something I'd do on a "phone" even if it were available. So I'll wait and see. If I get stuck I may go find a refurbished icon out there. But if Surface Studio and Book are any indication of how they treat a "new" device, I think waiting for a Surface Phone is a perfectly logical idea. And I'm quite able to manage on current devices until that happens. I will highlight that I'm not "app centric". I have work to do and it gets done. I like a good camera on the phone because often that's all you have. Some apps are nice, but again I think much more comes when they do one device, one high end device truly "right" and then let the rest of the industry decide (like they did with Surface Pro) if they want to make anything in the same category. Few disagree that the X3 isn't a really good phone even if missing a few things like IS and mobile payments. HP did a ton of things right. So I think current market shows that a Surface phone might well lead the charge.
As others have said, every single one of the devices on the market has flaws. There are literally tons of abandoned apps on the other two platforms. If I were them I'd find it embarrassing. Android has a fractured market that is not the end all be all. And Apple devices bring on the need to buy more Apple stuff to support them. And they all freeze up, fail and even the Pixel was refused to be serviced by Google sending people instead back to VZ. It's crazy. All these vendors want to take your $$ and then forget you. And if you don't think MS doesn't have (still have because the others are behaving worse not better each year) an opportunity to shake this whole place up, you should rethink things. MS is not perfect. But none of them are. You need a device that works and is simple to use and merges seamlessly with the other things you do. I find MS to fit that pretty well. Now I would like a Surface phone, or rather a bunch of them.

 

[Michael Amaleona]

I think the nokia would switch their OS from windows to android and Nokia is also a microsoft company. I think they are not so good in marketing strategy that is why they switch to android so that they can increase their sales in mobile phones. :amaze: :unhappysweat:

 

[vincze88]

They need a complete overhaul. Their simplistic template is boring and not aesthetic enough to appeal to the masses.

 

[milkyway]

I think the nokia would switch their OS from windows to android and Nokia is also a microsoft company. I think they are not so good in marketing strategy that is why they switch to android so that they can increase their sales in mobile phones. :amaze: :unhappysweat:

Nokia is not a MS company!

 

[RumoredNow]

I think the nokia would switch their OS from windows to android and Nokia is also a microsoft company. I think they are not so good in marketing strategy that is why they switch to android so that they can increase their sales in mobile phones. :amaze: :unhappysweat:

Ummm... Nokia is not owned by Microsoft. Microsoft only bought the Lumia brand and infrastructure from Nokia. Part of the deal was Nokia was barred from making phones until 2017 so that is why they are only now emerging from hibernation.

 

[Riopato]

Has anyone notice how direct support for Windows 10 mobile is either hidden on the Microsoft sites and the fact that support for the 950/XL is handled by a third party separate from Microsoft?

 

[nate0]

Ummm... Nokia is not owned by Microsoft. Microsoft only bought the Lumia brand and infrastructure from Nokia. Part of the deal was Nokia was barred from making phones until 2017 so that is why they are only now emerging from hibernation.

Yes. And all that really exists now from that is the Nokia name, marketing, Licensing/Patents, and some of the remaining OG members...

 

[theefman]

Microsoft never comes out and declares its mobile platforms dead, what they do is suddenly stop talking about it publicly in any way that could be seen as promoting it and then one day announce the next new savior best mobile OS in existence and then pretend the previous version never existed. Look back on their history with WP and its various reboots and the pattern is clear.

Now FF to today, where at one time Microsoft was vocal in saying they were "committed" to their mobile OS now there is silence and recent leaks reveal why; the next big thing they will be pushing is Windows on ARM and their CShell. So right now the slow demise of W10M doesn't really concern them and fits right in with their plans because to Microsoft its already obsolete and they prefer it fades into obscurity leaving a clear path for their new favorite. So no, don't expect Microsoft to do anything to stem the downward spiral of W10M.

 

[fatclue_98]

Do not equate silence about Windows Mobile with it being dead. There simply aren't enough users to justify regular press snippets. Microsoft has much bigger fish to fry.

Sent from my Banana Yellow Lumia 1520 via mTalk

 

[PeregrineSlim]

It seems the Windows Phone is well and truly dead as the kind of app-oriented device that smartphones have become.

A post-app smartphone is what the future is with Windows Surface Phone, but this is far off into the future.

Meanwhile they are marking time with no investment in the field to keep anyone interested in the OS.