Found out some interesting info today

[J Dubbs]

I was trying to pick up another windows phone on clearance at the Microsoft store for my wife so she'd have a few to last her for the foreseeable future (she's an avid windows phone fan and refuses to use anything else). None of the links were working (of course), so I called up customer support to see what the problem was.

The support guy was very knowledgeable and helpful, and explained to me that they had no more windows phones period, and apologized for the incorrect info on the website. He said that wasn't his department and had no idea why the phone prices/info were still up.

But what he did seem to know a lot about were the upcoming Microsoft surface devices coming out with LTE capabilities. I was asking for my wife what future devices coming out were going to have cell phone capabilities, and mentioned I'd read the new surface devices were going to have cellular capabilities, and he said they were only going to have LTE so they would have always on internet...... there would be no cell phone calling capabilities. He said he's getting asked that constantly, and I could tell he was tired of answering it.

It does seem to make some sense...

What do you guys think?

 

[DavidBS1989]

Well, in one video of Dan talking about Andromeda, he explicity said that the device will be able to do pone calls and send text messages.

https://youtu.be/7kyMoyseeK4?t=175 In 2:55.

 

[robert beadles]

I think this is an issue with the carriers, They want to sell two different data planes and get more money. They want to grow their business not just replace it. For the carriers to approve the device they may be pushing for no telephone abilities. I think that this is what is stopping it from Happening right now. Although it could also be a QUALCOMM position too as it would also mean substitution of sales rather than growth.

 

[Indistinguishable]

Support people don't know anything about upcoming Surface offerings. The only people at Microsoft who are knowledgable about upcoming Surface offerings are on the Surface team. And they're sworn by an NDA on which their employment hinges (no pun intended).

Zac & Dan know more about what's happening than the person you talked to. They've both confirmed on numerous occasions that Andromeda will have telephony capabilities.

 

[fatclue_98]

What do you guys think?

Simple. There is no such thing as a Surface Phone. It only existed in the wishful thinking minds of those who pine for a game-changing Windows phone. The Andromeda wet dream will consist of an LTE capable "always on" computing device and there may be a limited number of telephony-equipped models to gauge Enterprise interest. For get about consumers. Nadella has made that abundantly clear even though few bother to accept it.

I want a pocketable device with computing abilities sporting a Windows OS of some sort, but I'm sure that's a few years away from being in the consumer market. I want it badly but I'm not into Unicorns.

 

[Elky64]

Simple. There is no such thing as a Surface Phone. It only existed in the wishful thinking minds of those who pine for a game-changing Windows phone. The Andromeda wet dream will consist of an LTE capable "always on" computing device and there may be a limited number of telephony-equipped models to gauge Enterprise interest. For get about consumers. Nadella has made that abundantly clear even though few bother to accept it.

I want a pocketable device with computing abilities sporting a Windows OS of some sort, but I'm sure that's a few years away from being in the consumer market. I want it badly but I'm not into Unicorns.

Considering Microsoft's poor tack record of following through, change of directions, and so on, I'm surprised others still keep finding ways of rekindling the spark (the fire went out a long time ago IMHO). Best to move on and if they come up with something new and revolutionary, then one can always move back.

 

[Jcmg62]

If these foldable Andromeda/Januss/Whatever the other OEM's come out with don't have phone call capabilities I'm going to be thoroughly disappointed.


The whole point of this is to have one device. The last thing I want/need is to carry a phone AND a foldable.


Back in 2004 I carried a phone and a PDA. It was a pain. This ain't 2004.

No. For this to work they absolutely need to be able to make calls.

 

[DavidBS1989]

If these foldable Andromeda/Januss/Whatever the other OEM's come out with don't have phone call capabilities I'm going to be thoroughly disappointed.


The whole point of this is to have one device. The last thing I want/need is to carry a phone AND a foldable.


Back in 2004 I carried a phone and a PDA. It was a pain. This ain't 2004.

No. For this to work they absolutely need to be able to make calls.

If we're conscient of this, I'm sure that MS has to be too. A foldable device is thought to be carried with you, and it has not sense to carry this device and a mobile phone; it would be a terrible error since the begin.

No, it must have phone capabilities, and I think is the way that they're going to do it. Dan said it:

[...] Zac & Dan know more about what's happening than the person you talked to. They've both confirmed on numerous occasions that Andromeda will have telephony capabilities.

This is.

 

[mtf1380]

I agree the support guy is as clueless as we are (all speculation at this point), but even if he is the only guy at MS allowed to divulge top secret info AND is correct, some OEM is going to introduce a feature rich Windows 10 Phone, of some kind...and IF it has a top-notch camera, I'll bite.

 

[eshropshire]

Zac & Dan know more about what's happening than the person you talked to. They've both confirmed on numerous occasions that Andromeda will have telephony capabilities.

A lot of this depends on how you define telephony. I can make calls over LTE, just not the same way I make standard calls with my mobile device. What I have heard in the MS rumors is that you will be able to make calls, but no definitive statements on what that means.

Also, if this is a truly foldable device not just two screens I think most will be shocked at the price. Substantially more than any estimate I have seen tossed around on these threads.

 

[sd4f]

The thing is, from listening to the podcasts, there's two angles I get, the enterprise one, in which this is not a consumer play at all, and the post-smartphone one, in which case this is what comes after smartphones.

If it's enterprise focused, then I think it's DOA. Blackberry was enterprise focused, didn't work out for them, can't see MS winning in that space either.

If it's a post-smartphone device, then it has potential. Can't say it's going to be easy, but success in the mobile space pivots on success amongst consumers. Smartphones seeing success in the consumer space, in many respects, dictated how things went in the enterprise space.

 

[MrockNroll]

I make calls everyday on my non-LTE HP laptop with my Bluetooth headset and company installed software, so there's that, but SKYPE calls have been working for years also so not that new. However LTE always on is new and I for one am looking forward to this hoping the telephony piece works well & includes sms massaging and txt capabilities as well. I will stay on windows 10 mobile till then.