Why 2015 might be THE year for Microsoft.

[BobLobIaw]

I believe most US customers with contracts and post-paid plans tend to go for flagship devices, not entry-level models, especially when the flagship devices of each platform are the same price with subsidy.

Do you think the 920 crowd will gravitate toward the new iPhone, for instance, if there is not a new WP flagship available in November? I think it's probable that some will, but if there are solid leaks or announcements of a new threshold device coming in, say, April '15, I think a lot of people will grudgingly wait. I think the hopelessness and impatience magnifies when people don't have a tangible rumor to bite into.

 

[Laura Knotek]

Do you think the 920 crowd will gravitate toward the new iPhone, for instance, if there is not a new WP flagship available in November? I think it's probable that some will, but if there are solid leaks or announcements of a new threshold device coming in, say, April '15, I think a lot of people will grudgingly wait. I think the hopelessness and impatience magnifies when people don't have a tangible rumor to bite into.

I cannot speak for all US consumers. However, I know many people only avoided the iPhone due to its small size. The availability of a bigger iPhone when one's contract expires, combined with no flagship Windows Phone, might cause those consumers to switch.

 

[BobLobIaw]

I cannot speak for all US consumers. However, I know many people only avoided the iPhone due to its small size. The availability of a bigger iPhone when one's contract expires, combined with no flagship Windows Phone, might cause those consumers to switch.

Yeah, I would probably consider the iPhone if there is a 5.5", as rumored, and if there are no new WP options on the horizon in November. But then again I am pretty happy with my 920 and I save money every month using it. If I switched to iPhone, I might miss out on the WP that turns the corner for the platform. I'm not really a buy and sell kinda guy. It will be interesting to see what happens. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

 

[MarCou]

So why buy Nokia?... CONTROL.

They bought Nokia cos they were forced to do so. Nokia already related X series and there were strong rumors that Nokia was manufacturing Android with full functionality.

That would have been end of Windows Phones story.

Posted via Windows Phone Central App

 

[Nerdy Woman]

Two problems I see with that analysis. First, we don't know what will be available this fall. I suspect it will be McLaren lite, but who knows. Second, the 920 is a great device and I think it can easily last until next spring, especially once Cyan helps smooth out the rough edges of WP 8.1. Surely something positive will be released or leaked by November.

I definitely hope we see something by November. I won't be upgrading until spring (if then), but Apple will introduce iPhone 6 at the end of September, as sure as the changing of the seasons. Regardless of whether it's amazing or an abomination, it will be headline news and people will be comparing it to the long-in-the-tooth or low-budget WPs...

 

[Nerdy Woman]

They bought Nokia cos they were forced to do so. Nokia already related X series and there were strong rumors that Nokia was manufacturing Android with full functionality.

That would have been end of Windows Phones story.

Posted via Windows Phone Central App

Precisely what I said. Microsoft is now able to control what OS runs on Nokia phones. You're right, MarCou, Nokia phones running Android would have been lethal to WP because so many people are agnostic about the OS, but respect the Nokia reputation for hardware.

Microsoft needs the WP OS to complete the "all platforms" vision.

 

[ohgood]

Translation: I have no interest in Microsoft and repeat that daily at WP Central. What does Microsoft offer for someone like me? Excellent rhetorical question.

if you've misinterpreted it, I understand. if you're just trolling, that's different. focus on the points in question:



what benefit does one-os-for-all-devices have, when the vast majority of people do not use their desktop applications on their phone and vice versa ?

it was a neat concept a few years ago before mobile app stores exploded, but today, how will people use it ?

 

[Liam Bryce]

For the last couple of years, we've heard two different predictions:

1. Microsoft (and particularly Windows Phone) sales will explode after "insert next update here".
2. Microsoft (and particularly Windows Phone) will fail.

So far neither has happened. Microsoft continues to be immensely profitable, and Windows Phone sales continue to be immensely sluggish. I too am interested in seeing what happens in the next year. If Threshold is truly going to be a universal platform, I expect some growing pains. So far nobody has seen anything like that, and I don't think it's going to be dropped on the market and be an immediate success. It will take months or years of development and refinement.

I totally agree. There's no certain point where everyone will just start buying WP. Like most things in life progress is gradual. WP hopefully will keep increasing in marketshare until it reaches a comfortable 20-30% which will force apps to be cross platform. Maybe we might even see Clash of Clans :/. Anyway this new CEO seems to know what he's doing and I think under his leadership Microsoft is going places.

 

[Great deal]

if you've misinterpreted it, I understand. if you're just trolling, that's different. focus on the points in question:



what benefit does one-os-for-all-devices have, when the vast majority of people do not use their desktop applications on their phone and vice versa ?

it was a neat concept a few years ago before mobile app stores exploded, but today, how will people use it ?

A number of reasons i can see, first of all it attracts developers (potentially more money for them as well), more developers = more apps, more apps = more choice, more choice = more users.

Second and importantly from a business perspective it makes life so much easier, easier to manage the flow of information to employees, it will save time and increase productivity which may mean more profit.

I would love to have desktop on my phone and vice versa, be able to send text messages via desktop outlook, have slimmed down versions of all my programs on my phone, it just makes life simpler, easier and a bit cheaper.

 

[csiguy1]

WOW Osallent, you sound almost like me. I have a Icon and a 1520. Have a Surface Pro 3 and 365. Cant wait for a new crop of phones and Win 9.

 

[jlzimmerman]

I cannot speak for all US consumers. However, I know many people only avoided the iPhone due to its small size. The availability of a bigger iPhone when one's contract expires, combined with no flagship Windows Phone, might cause those consumers to switch.

Agreed. The only thing I can think of that will prevent many users going to the iPhone 6 is its rumored price, which I've been reading will be between $300-$400 on contract.

 

[BobLobIaw]

if you've misinterpreted it, I understand. if you're just trolling, that's different. focus on the points in question:



what benefit does one-os-for-all-devices have, when the vast majority of people do not use their desktop applications on their phone and vice versa ?

it was a neat concept a few years ago before mobile app stores exploded, but today, how will people use it ?

Not trolling, just pointing out that for "someone like you" who has expressed no interest in using WP, a unified OS is not going to suddenly make you reconsider your choices. Perhaps you should have asked the question in the abstract.

To answer your question, just because people have learned to exist in an app-centric mobile world with multiple experiences doesn't mean that they don't have the ability to adapt to a more streamlined OS. If a consumer is offered the ability to use the same application, desktop or otherwise, on all devices it remains a neat concept realized.

 

[ohgood]

.

To answer your question, just because people have learned to exist in an app-centric mobile world with multiple experiences doesn't mean that they don't have the ability to adapt to a more streamlined OS. If a consumer is offered the ability to use the same application, desktop or otherwise, on all devices it remains a neat concept realized.

this is a much nicer answer, good job!



it looks like your focus is now on the os looking and feeling the same across all devices, instead of actually using the same applications/programs across all devices ?

I can understand that, for a focus, but attracting developers when there are so few applications to be used on both the phone and desktop, how does that play out?

does Microsoft sell it as a "write once" concept for the devs ?

or do you have another theory ?

 

[BobLobIaw]

this is a much nicer answer, good job!



it looks like your focus is now on the os looking and feeling the same across all devices, instead of actually using the same applications/programs across all devices ?

I can understand that, for a focus, but attracting developers when there are so few applications to be used on both the phone and desktop, how does that play out?

does Microsoft sell it as a "write once" concept for the devs ?

or do you have another theory ?

No need to patronize. I'm plenty aware of your post history so you don't have to pretend to be someone you are not.

An identical UI experience is not necessary in all circumstances, and many have voiced opinions on the challenges of conforming the experiences you get on a 5" and a 27" screen. Nevertheless, a unified OS will achieve more consistency in the UI experience among all devices and many users will undoubtedly appreciate that. Actually using the same programs will be a benefit--a huge one. If I can use my time and billing program, for example, on my desktop, tablet and mobile phone, that is a huge improvement over the current situation. If the MS Office experience is more consistent among all devices, the user wins. I'm not sure why you've convinced yourself that there are few applications that would be used on both mobile and desktop. That doesn't really make sense, other than it describes the current limited landscape.

 

[ohgood]

... off topic deleted...

1 An identical UI experience is not necessary in all circumstances, and many have voiced opinions on the challenges of conforming the experiences you get on a 5" and a 27" screen.

2 Nevertheless, a unified OS will achieve more consistency in the UI experience among all devices and many users will undoubtedly appreciate that.

3 Actually using the same programs will be a benefit--a huge one. If I can use my time and billing program, for example, on my desktop, tablet and mobile phone, that is a huge improvement over the current situation. If the MS Office experience is more consistent among all devices, the user wins.

4 I'm not sure why you've convinced yourself that there are few applications that would be used on both mobile and desktop. That doesn't really make sense, other than it describes the current limited landscape.

1 ya I imagine that's going to be a good challenge

2 yup, if they like the ui , they'll get a bunch of it on all their screens

3 yup ! office suites work pretty good already got me. edit/share/sync, etc, I really like the flexibility of using the best performing office suite on each type of device right now.

4 I'm going by my own usages...

PC:
photo editing
video editing
typical office suite uses involving a keyboard, multiple tabs in chrome, lots of document types at once etc
movie playback/htpc
huge file sizes in torrents/sftp/afp/smb/etc
disk imaging

phone/tablet:
very GPS centric...
GPS enabled mapping, tracking, routing, planning
geo referenced PDFs
osm data uplink
video calls
photography

none of those really cross over in device usage. sure, I can share gigs of videos and maps over Wi-Fi to the htpc, but that's about as close as I get to cross application usage.

honestly I can't think of anything that I do from both screens besides web browsing , forums , email and SMS.

 

[DJCBS]

Precisely what I said. Microsoft is now able to control what OS runs on Nokia phones. You're right, MarCou, Nokia phones running Android would have been lethal to WP because so many people are agnostic about the OS, but respect the Nokia reputation for hardware.

Microsoft needs the WP OS to complete the "all platforms" vision.

Technically there are no more Nokia phones. There's the ones on the market and that's it. But yes, they averted the shift that Nokia was preparing for full Google-Android.
However, I don't think they have or will avert any decline in sales related to the end of Nokia phones. Which is why it's crucial, if they hope to survive, to bring other renown OEM to the WP space. Microsoft Mobile in itself has no future. What Microsoft must do is hurry that so called One Windows and make it available for OEMs. That way it's much more appealing to them to produce Windows machines as they can always bundle, for example, a tablet & phone which has the same OS in it, something they can't do with Apple obviously and that they can't do with Android either.

 

[BobLobIaw]

I'm going by my own usages...

So am I, and my usages would benefit from a unified OS. If people want to be hamstrung in their use of mobile devices, they won't be interested in the benefits of Threshold.

 

[godse573]

So am I, and my usages would benefit from a unified OS. If people want to be hamstrung in their use of mobile devices, they won't be interested in the benefits of Threshold.

Everyone has their own experiences, which is what Microsoft is trying to help everyone realize. although many people do not see the bright side of a unified company and cross platforming stuffs, it is just another added bonus to the entire realm of Windows. No, it wont be a selling point, but when you sit down and realize "oh i can just do this" and "oh its easy since i have this and that" you really understand how nice it is to use a Windows powered machine.

Oh and P.S. that's one BEAUTIFUL Scirocco

 

[ohgood]

So am I, and my usages would benefit from a unified OS. If people want to be hamstrung in their use of mobile devices, they won't be interested in the benefits of Threshold.

how are people currently hamstrung ?
do you mean windows phone, iPhone, android , or all mobile operating systems?

 

[ohgood]

Everyone has their own experiences, which is what Microsoft is trying to help everyone realize. although many people do not see the bright side of a unified company and cross platforming stuffs, it is just another added bonus to the entire realm of Windows. No, it wont be a selling point, but when you sit down and realize "oh i can just do this" and "oh its easy since i have this and that" you really understand how nice it is to use a Windows powered machine.

Oh and P.S. that's one BEAUTIFUL Scirocco

I think i understand how threshold may benefit tablet users, but how does it improve life for phone users?