Does Windows 10 mobile have a future in the world of iOS10 and Google Nougat?

[Anurag singh12]

With Anniversary Update, Windows 10 Mobile got more polished and it added more features to the OS. But when we compare it with other 2 major mobile operating systems- iOS and Android, does it stand a chance to survive?
The other OSs are supported with devices like iPhone7/6S, Samsung S7/EDGE, LG V10/20. The list goes on with the best in class phones. While our beloved Windows 10 mobile has Lumia 950/XL and HP Elite X3. Days of Lumia 950 series are almost over and Elite X3 is being targeted to the Business users.
With no new Lumia coming and a rumoured Surface Phone(we don't even know if it is real), where are we going with Windows 10 mobile. Will the OS survive?

Just wanted to know the views of people who love Windows 10 mobile. Thank You

 

[Ryujingt3]

Re: Does Windows 10 mobile has a future in a world of iOS10 and Google Nougat?

I think it definitely has a future. Microsoft should allow for more Android OEM devices to run Windows Mobile. They did it with Xiaomi, why not with other Android manufacturers too? I think many people would be interested to try an Android phone (manufacturer) running Windows 10. It would also give Windows 10 Mobile an easier way to get more users.

With more and more apps becoming multiplatform why not extend that to OS'es too? Doing this means Microsoft doesn't have to worry about hardware and can focus on the software. After all, we have no real proof that a Surface phone is ever going to come.

 

[paulxxwall]

Re: Does Windows 10 mobile has a future in a world of iOS10 and Google Nougat?

Nope not a chance . Not any more at least

 

[christo_hartono]

Re: Does Windows 10 mobile has a future in a world of iOS10 and Google Nougat?

I hope it will

 

[Joe920]

Re: Does Windows 10 mobile has a future in a world of iOS10 and Google Nougat?

With Anniversary Update, Windows 10 Mobile got more polished and it added more features to the OS. But when we compare it with other 2 major mobile operating systems- iOS and Android, does it stand a chance to survive?
The other OSs are supported with devices like iPhone7/6S, Samsung S7/EDGE, LG V10/20. The list goes on with the best in class phones. While our beloved Windows 10 mobile has Lumia 950/XL and HP Elite X3. Days of Lumia 950 series are almost over and Elite X3 is being targeted to the Business users.
With no new Lumia coming and a rumoured Surface Phone(we don't even know if it is real), where are we going with Windows 10 mobile. Will the OS survive?

Just wanted to know the views of people who love Windows 10 mobile. Thank You

Interesting question, maybe related to this poll asking whether there will be another Windows Phone after the Elite X3. Read the poll carefully, it's mega confusing.

I think the main question is apps apps apps, but aside from that it would be interesting to compare OS on its own. Does WP10 do things better or miss anything important compared to Android and iOS? (I'm sure there's another thread on this somewhere, anyone?)


Features where WP leads or competes:

Live tiles for me are still a winner. I'm not a huge fan of widgets, I really like the clean look of the WP start screen. The transparent tiles are awesome, I love being able to change the whole look of the tiles by changing the background pic.

I think volume and track control on WP is miles better than on iOS. I love that we can get the full play/volume control by pressing volume up. A tiny thing I like: I can tap and drag the volume bar anywhere I like, I don't need to carefully grab a 'handle' on the volume bar. It's the little things.

Notification sync is heading in the right direction, but it's still very broken for me. I get the sense that this is better for iOS on a mac, not sure. Does Android have anything like that? A Windows app that can show and dismiss Android notifications? If not, this is a major plus for WP.

I also love that we can peek at the date by partly pulling down the notification shade. On iOS I need to pull their notification page way down, and even then I might be on the wrong page.

Not an OS thing, but I love the hardware camera button.

The glance screen is fantastic, I'd miss that on iOS. I think some Android phones do this now?

I love that the start screen can pan forever, as opposed to the screen-by-screen movement on iOS. Android now has the infinite app drawer which is a similar feel, but that shows all installed apps, so not quite the same. A win for WP10 imo.

Continuum: I've started using this a bit more. Neither Android or iOS have anything like it.. yet.

Security: MS is good at keeping things up to date and safe. So is Apple, and so is Google on its own devices, but other Android phones are at relatively high risk

WP and Android allow mounting as an external drive, iOS does but with the most severe limitations.


Features where WP lags:

Somehow it seems like Apple and Google are willing to refine the design a lot over the various releases. Google Now looks a million times more fresh and clean than the clunky Cortana page. Page transitions and transparency effects look fancier and well-designed on iOS. In the early days the stark look of WP stood out compared to the static grid of icons on iOS and Android. Remember when the tile animations on WP felt amazingly cool? Those days are gone, to me the others look better taken care of by now.

Personally I get the sense that NFC payments work better on the others (don't use it, so not sure).

The maps app and in particular the POI database in WP is inferior to Google's, so until a Google Maps app appears on WP (which is never) or until MS vastly improves the POI database, imo WP lags on that front.


That's it for now. It sounds like I really enjoy WP10. Now like the Beatles used to sing: "All we need is apps!" (is that how the song goes?)

 

[RJ Priest]

Re: Does Windows 10 mobile has a future in a world of iOS10 and Google Nougat?

LOL, Google Nougat.... it just sounds absurd.

On a serious note, Windows 10 mobile (I much prefer to continue casually calling it "Windows Phone") has a future as long as Microsoft gets back in the game and takes it seriously. The gross mishandling of the Nokia acquisition turned what should have been a huge step forward into a huge step backward, all in the name of throwing a bone to the mythical "OEM's".

Microsoft is doing little to give us Windows Phone customers a sense of hope, but if the rumours of the next significant OS update being focused on mobile are true, and Microsoft delivers a tri-force of stability, performance, and innovation that Windows Phone 8 was once known for with Nokia; then we could easily be back in the game.

Phone hardware has hit a plateau - look no further than Apple finally adding some features that Windows Phone (Nokia) and Samsung have had for years. It's all about software from this point onward, and Windows 10 needs to change the game. In all honesty, my Lumia 1520 running WP8 does everything I need combined with a beauty of UI design and user experience that Win10 lacks. I'm happy to ride out my 1520 for as long as possible until the battery becomes useless.

Surface Phone just needs to have pointy corners (no round iPhone / galaxy generic knockoff), with a camera that's up to par with anything on the market. From there, we need interactive live tiles, a return of hubs and better social media integration right into the OS. From there, I think Win10 mobile just needs to take Cortana to the next level, making it more like the computer from Star Trek (for lack of a better description).

If I can pick up my phone and have it perform all tasks that I need via voice command, that's where we go from here. The phone will never replace the PC for professional work (3D, CAD, video editing, Photoshop, Illustrator, etc), but complex voice commands can help eliminate the curse of the hamburger menu and awkward, over complicated touch input (unless MS gets bold like it did with Metro and we adventure with a paradigm shift in touch input).

 

[DavidinCT]

Re: Does Windows 10 mobile has a future in a world of iOS10 and Google Nougat?

I hope it has a spot but, the way Microsoft is playing it... I don't think they even think there is a future with Windows 10 Mobile.

I just cant see it. I got a email on one of my accounts from Microsoft promoting bing points....and on the bottom, it showed Download are apps, listed was Apple, Android and Amazon....Nope no Windows Phone/Mobile listed...

And if Microsoft is not promoting it in ANY of their services, it's sad to say, the days are numbered.

They need to promote it, and dump cash into ads...get it out there, get new models out there but, Microsoft did that once and didn't do well, so they pretty much looking like they gave up on this part...

It really is a nice OS (coming from someone who knows all 3 OS's very well), smooth, solid...accept for a lot of issues on Win 10 Mobile still there (8.1 was rock solid on this aspect),

I just wish Microsoft would get their crap together and do something to promote it... the sad thing is it's a catch 22 type thing.... Cant get the Apps/hardware unless we have the phone sales.... WE cant get the phone sales because we don't have the apps/hardware..

But, this has ALWAYS been the problem with Windows Mobile/Phone

 

[Joe920]

Re: Does Windows 10 mobile has a future in a world of iOS10 and Google Nougat?

I just cant see it. I got a email on one of my accounts from Microsoft promoting bing points....and on the bottom, it showed Download are apps, listed was Apple, Android and Amazon....Nope no Windows Phone/Mobile listed...

I agree that's bad at the moment. Elsewhere I argued that the proliferation of tablets would drive the development of UWP apps for tablets, and if enabling those on phones were easy enough the ecosystem would naturally grow with almost zero promotion of Windows Phone. It's all going pretty slowly though, so I honestly don't know what will happen. Definitely interesting times.

 

[abhishek singh21]

Re: Does Windows 10 mobile has a future in a world of iOS10 and Google Nougat?

there will always be more to add in windows phone OS, and even Microsoft knows that too. We are already testing the bits of Redstone 2 update and in coming months will know the plans of micrososft beyond redstone branch> RS3 and further.

But development is not going to stop , VIVE LA WINDOWS MOBILE. ^_^

 

[Kram Sacul]

Re: Does Windows 10 mobile has a future in a world of iOS10 and Google Nougat?

As long as the current clueless CEO is in charge Windows 10 Whatever is not going anywhere soon.

 

[gbman54]

Re: Does Windows 10 mobile has a future in a world of iOS10 and Google Nougat?

I wish it survive but I don't think it will

 

[M7H]

Re: Does Windows 10 mobile has a future in a world of iOS10 and Google Nougat?

As long as the current clueless CEO is in charge Windows 10 Whatever is not going anywhere soon.

Clueless?
They tried "soon"
Payed developers to bring App's, well they brought App's, but did not maintain them.
Bought Nokia and brought a lot of phones on the market in all market segments => didn't bring developers to make App's (although Europe did OK) and made sure there were no manufacturers interested in also bringing a mobile, because Nokia already covered the complete market.

So now it is time for a new plan.
And if people can not see that, they are blind, and most surely will never make it to be CEO, of whatever company.

 

[N_LaRUE]

Re: Does Windows 10 mobile has a future in a world of iOS10 and Google Nougat?

I'm going to view this from two points of view.

First, from a consumer point of view, IF having access to the latest and greatest is your thing than at this point in time WM is a complete waste of time. You're better off sticking to iOS and Android. Also, when we get to the bottom line for a consumer, experience is everything and right now, for the moment, experience means apps. Until that changes, WM is dead last for most consumers. Hence the barely 1% market share.

Second, from the point of view of business. WM has pretty much all you need and then some. It's not perfect and I have little doubt not everything is available for all enterprises but on the whole, WM is a good business OS. For those businesses going to Windows 10 having a W10M makes sense. With Continuum it makes even more sense. So from that perspective you can see the divide.

MS is interested in attracting businesses because that's where see the market there for them. Lots of enterprises use Windows, unfortunately not all will upgrade to Windows 10 any time soon. But I guess this is a way to entice them.

It really doesn't matter if MS bring out the 'Surface Phone' or not. The average consumer won't care in the least. Without the apps W10M might as well be dead for the consumer. For businesses on the other hand, a Surface Phone might be a great thing.

This is the crux of the problem. MS wants businesses to be the push to get W10M popular. Consumers who are on W10M want MS to push for consumers to get the apps they want. However, MS's strategy is business first at the moment in hopes that increase numbers, thus being more attractive to developers. This is a long term straggly and one that consumers, being the 'I want it now' mentality, can't work with. Hence the drop in number of consumers.

So, to put it bluntly, if you're a consumer and want W10M to succeed any time soon you're going to be waiting a long time unfortunately because at the moment W10M strategy isn't for you.

That's my two cents.

 

[TheChazas]

Re: Does Windows 10 mobile has a future in a world of iOS10 and Google Nougat?

As far OS goes, Microsofts Windows will be ahead and mostly stay, why? because OS is theirs main goal, not some physical product. To this day other OS'es copies Microsoft there and there and besides that Microsoft already develops for other OS'es.

 

[Chintan Gohel]

Re: Does Windows 10 mobile has a future in a world of iOS10 and Google Nougat?

Is W10M about mobile only? Continuum anyone?

 

[Timbre70]

Re: Does Windows 10 mobile has a future in a world of iOS10 and Google Nougat?

And still continue to build buggy software!?! Seems like they are very consistent.

 

[techiez]

Re: Does Windows 10 mobile has a future in a world of iOS10 and Google Nougat?

I'm going to view this from two points of view.

First, from a consumer point of view, IF having access to the latest and greatest is your thing than at this point in time WM is a complete waste of time. You're better off sticking to iOS and Android. Also, when we get to the bottom line for a consumer, experience is everything and right now, for the moment, experience means apps. Until that changes, WM is dead last for most consumers. Hence the barely 1% market share.

Second, from the point of view of business. WM has pretty much all you need and then some. It's not perfect and I have little doubt not everything is available for all enterprises but on the whole, WM is a good business OS. For those businesses going to Windows 10 having a W10M makes sense. With Continuum it makes even more sense. So from that perspective you can see the divide.

MS is interested in attracting businesses because that's where see the market there for them. Lots of enterprises use Windows, unfortunately not all will upgrade to Windows 10 any time soon. But I guess this is a way to entice them.

It really doesn't matter if MS bring out the 'Surface Phone' or not. The average consumer won't care in the least. Without the apps W10M might as well be dead for the consumer. For businesses on the other hand, a Surface Phone might be a great thing.

This is the crux of the problem. MS wants businesses to be the push to get W10M popular. Consumers who are on W10M want MS to push for consumers to get the apps they want. However, MS's strategy is business first at the moment in hopes that increase numbers, thus being more attractive to developers. This is a long term straggly and one that consumers, being the 'I want it now' mentality, can't work with. Hence the drop in number of consumers.

So, to put it bluntly, if you're a consumer and want W10M to succeed any time soon you're going to be waiting a long time unfortunately because at the moment W10M strategy isn't for you.

That's my two cents.

Agree with you mostly except 1. If MS thinks they can attract devs by adding business users, it would be difficult. Most of the enterprises would simply lock down stores so as to block ppl from downloading fun apps on their work phones.

 

[N_LaRUE]

Re: Does Windows 10 mobile has a future in a world of iOS10 and Google Nougat?

Agree with you mostly except 1. If MS thinks they can attract devs by adding business users, it would be difficult. Most of the enterprises would simply lock down stores so as to block ppl from downloading fun apps on their work phones.

My explanation is as follows:

If numbers mean everything for developers than if MS can increase the numbers by selling to business they at least have something to go to developers with. The assumption would be that some of those business people would want a WM for personal use, which is a good assumption.

There's is also the opportunity for those developers who want to get into enterprise development and have MS offer a platform for them.

There's many avenues here. There's also UWP which means that if a person is using an app on WM they may want to use it on W10 at home or on tablet.

Again, I'll point out this isn't a quick solution but getting any sort of increase in numbers, regardless how it's done, is more important than doing nothing. Those who are pure consumers feel cheated but they will benefit eventually from it. It's just not a fast enough pace for most which is why the drop in consumers has happened.

Honestly, when WP came out, I personally would have targeted businesses from the beginning as that was always Windows biggest customer and I think things would be different now if they had done things that way. But at least they're going the right direction now. Some will disagree with me but that's ok. This is my personal perspective and I come from a business perspective.

 

[Krystianpants]

Re: Does Windows 10 mobile has a future in a world of iOS10 and Google Nougat?

I think windows 10 mobile has a future. I think MS knew that going down the route of the new operating system that they were going to have stability issues and other stuff so it wasn't worth putting all their effort into it.

The thing about companies like blackberry, it was was the consumers that rejected it and it fell from peoples' grace. Windows 10 is a different scenario. The reason the market plummeted was because of Microsoft. Blackberry didn't retrench, they just were not popular enough to maintain their share. MS on the other hand had a nice and slow growing market share but decided to decimate it.

It's likely they don't want any shares in smart phones, they want the new category like the hybrid laptops. They want the PC phone category. Maybe going forward in 2017 continuum will be a feature in every single windows 10 mobile phone. And it will be optimized and improved upon. My view is that i'm happy with my 950xl for the most part. Yah new builds have caused me some heating/battery issues but it does what I want and it has the apps I want. I would have preferred an HP elite X3 but that ship has sailed. Since the resale value of my phone is NOTHING, I can't be selling them to get the newest thing. That's one of the best parts about iphone is you can resell it for quite a high price if it's in good condition.

But it won't die it will just emerge at another time. Smartphones are reaching peak like PC industry did. Hybrids + premium quality have increased sales again. It's possible that a similar perfected solution could do the same thing for phones.

 

[mnsiw]

Re: Does Windows 10 mobile has a future in a world of iOS10 and Google Nougat?

On WM I waited several months for option to send / receive text from Wi-Fi or USB connected desktop, finally the introduced Messaging Everywhere and then stopped it after few weeks, I know they added something similar to Skype now, I've switched to Nougat, and it has dozens of options to sync text and other stuff to Windows or MacOS desktop, I'm a WM fan but unfortunately it lack flexibility, customization and quality apps.