Could Windows Phone 9 have saved Windows Phone?

[hoodliedoo]

Windows 10 Mobile had a rough launch. It was a step back from Windows Phone 8 in many areas. Windows 10 Mobile still feels sluggish compared to Windows Phone 8 and it doesn't really have any killer features that aren't present in Windows Phone 8.

What if Microsoft had continued to build out its WinCE based phone platform while keeping Windows 10 Mobile secret for another year or two or skipping straight to Windows 10 on ARM with CShell? We now all know that the UWP apps that Windows 10 Mobile relied on never materialized in meaningful numbers. I find myself wondering if market share might not have plummeted as precipitously if Microsoft hadn't rebooted the platform again so quickly.

 

[Adventurer64]

I've been using android since beginning and I don't recall a reboot, just incremental improvements with backwards compatibility with apps for reasonable period. My brief 8 months with W10M this year was fantastic. Love the OS. Never used previous versions of WP, so not sure if reboots were worth the effort. I did use Windows CE back in the day of PDA's and preferred it over Palm or other PDA's.

 

[OutlawFirebird]

I don't think so. Microsoft and there marketing strategy, would ensure the same outcome happened.

 

[Guytronic]

If Microlost wanted to succeed they would have.

Not exactly sure why MS couldn't have forged a place in the Mobile market with $$ well placed and a good marketing attitude.
My thoughts are that the power players after Ballmer simply didn't care so in any instance Microlost mobile was doomed at any level.

 

[spicypadthai]

8.1 was essentially "9" with big improvements vs. 8, specifically Cortana and Action Center/notifications. Plus the word flow keyboard, better calendar (week view), start screen/live tile improvements, and improved settings. It was really much more than an incremental ".1" revision. I always thought it was odd they went with 8.1 b/c it really undersold how big of a change it was. Regardless, they ditched 8.1 as soon as it was getting a little traction. It was a big deal in the spring of 2014 as it finally put Windows Phone on relatively equal footing with iOS and Android and many non-Windows Phone users were genuinely curious about it. Then less than a year later, MS was all about Windows 10 Mobile to coincide with Windows 10 releasing, except Mobile wasn't ready for prime time and they had already abandoned 8.1 b/c it didn't fit with their "One Windows" vision . If anything, and maybe ironically, Windows 10 hastened the demise of Windows Phone.

 

[MikeX74]

Windows Phone’s biggest problem was the lack of developer support compared to iOS and Android. Would Windows 9 have solved that? If not, the answer to your question is no.

 

[power5]

Windows Phone’s biggest problem was the lack of developer support compared to iOS and Android. Would Windows 9 have solved that? If not, the answer to your question is no.

Not sure why windows phone did not put all their developers into making the play store work in windows OS. not sure how much power it would require to run a virtual android OS but I would think they could figure it out. And if not, skin android to look like windows phone. I have a microsoft launcher on my android but it still doesn't have the live tiles, or any tiles. Android OS can be skinned to look like just about anything you want. Somehow MSFT cannot skin it to act like win10 though?

One or the other would save windows mobile. Make the play store work with windows 10 mobile, or make android look like windows 10 mobile. The latter will make it harder to blur the line between desktop/laptop/tablet/phone though.

 

[beman39]

What could have saved windows mobile, is Stop building new OS's! Microsoft should have Incrementally Updated Windows Mobile 8-8.1 into something more mature and robust. Just like iOS. and Android has been doing all this time. Then the Devs would have Programmed more apps for Windows Mobile, instead of each new iteration of windows mobile And Programming from scratch again! I'm convinced that's why Devs are not Making apps for Windows Mobile.

 

[Adventurer64]

What could have saved windows mobile, is Stop building new OS's! Microsoft should have Incrementally Updated Windows Mobile 8-8.1 into something more mature and robust. Just like iOS. and Android has been doing all this time. Then the Devs would have Programmed more apps for Windows Mobile, instead of each new iteration of windows mobile And Programming from scratch again! I'm convinced that's why Devs are not Making apps for Windows Mobile.

Yap, change for the sake of change is never a good thing.

 

[faisalbaba]

I think windows phone 8 should had been windows phone 8.1.windows phone 8.1 should had been windows 10 mobile, and windows 10 mobile should had been, on which Microsoft is currently working that is Andromeda.

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