Okay, well, then why are you posting on a Windows forum?
I don't know what goes on in carrier stores. I bought my last phone over the internet. I only set foot in my provider's store to buy a SIM card when I switched providers recently.
But you're right, most people are sheep. They only buy what's popular / suggested to them by salespeople; many of which aren't making much more than minimum wage and only suggest what will score them the biggest commission (Clearly, Apple wins in this dept). Microsoft doesn't pay good enough commissions to warrant being suggested by these companies and probably why many companies stopped carrying MS phones. Sure, they aren't gonna move if people don't know about them.
Microsoft is a horribly ran company, no doubt about it. I like their OS, I use it on my PC and phone. If they ever stop supporting the mobile OS, I will be disappointed but would move on like everyone else.
Though if you are worried about what others are doing, then I suppose your perceptions would be "omg, Windows Phone is so dead."
W10 mobile is still receiving updates and improvements, so as far as I care it is not dead. What everyone else does with their phones, I couldn't give a toss. Mine is doing what it is intended to do. I do not buy a phone or use it for a fashion statement like most Iphone owners. Though if that is your goal, a Windows Phone should certainly be the last thing on your mind.
Honestly. I love my 950XL but I have told many people who were interested in it to go with Apple or Android. And that's because I ask them for what their needs are. And if they need these different apps that have very little chance of making it to Windows 10 anytime soon I would feel bad for recommending it. I get compliments on my phone all the time and people look at it with awe even though it's apparently designed horribly as the media and others have pointed out. It's all screen. It's compact for its size and completely customizable to your needs. But if someone uses an app to control their thermostat or something, it won't work. And I have friends who are huge android heads who honestly love my phone. And on top of that they didn't even know it exists.
So really employees at these places should be asking people for their needs. And don't just assume everyone needs every app. These people working there are usually young, and they are very concerned about apps. And they assume everyone is. So I get where they are coming from. But if they had properly probed the customer for their needs they wouldn't need to worry about returns.
Employees should also be trained on everything they sell. Most of them only know these phones from sites that are biased towards apple or android. And I have seen some horrible reviews where people go in with bias and make stupid claims that are untrue. Having a working phone on display where they can go with the customer into the store and search for apps or alternatives would also help.
But really it's a big investment for people. Things like bb-8 that have separate apps are all over the place. And while Bb-8 supports windows, many don't. It's peace of mind that if you buy something in the future that has an app, it will work.
This is why windows phone is dead. The new era that Satya hopes to bring is to change computing. People often have multiple computers including a phone. A phone is a computer it's just limited by input/screen size. But why do I need a separate device if I want to go to a bigger screen? Why do I have to pay so much to get a laptop with all this processing power when my phone already has it? Focus on making these smaller devices more powerful and add accessories like monitors and dumb laptop terminals. You can have a PC, laptop and phone for a much cheaper price. So I get where MS is going with that. And I think it will be successful with time. Think about how this changes the workspace. No more PC's taking up room and cables everywhere just so I can do the same things my phone should be capable of.
So the future is really about bringing the power of pc's into that small form factor and allowing it to adapt to your needs. The 950/950xl are sort of like the first Surface. They show the concept and that it can be done. The Surface phone will be the 2nd interation and if done well it has the power to change. Developers are also seeing something there hence why all the apps coming for windows 10 these days. It's not comparable to the competitors no doubt. But we see it happening. I mean I have seen more apps coming out for windows 10 than I ever did for windows 8.1. With windows 8.1 it would be like christmas if an app came out. And other companies will follow. The goal for MS is to get a head start. And yes, they can abandon windows phone, because it's not where they see the future. And focusing on other products such as hololens, and windows pc's makes sense because it ingrains the use of the start screen for users. It becomes familiar.
MS just needs the right hardware, a polished OS and they can't screw up the launch. They can't let the hype die down. Once they announce their spring 2017 lineup, if they don't release shortly after, the hype will die. People are more likely to purchase products when they are hyped. I study neuroscience and hype actually creates a neurochemical reaction that stops you from thinking about things logically and just go out and do things. Once that hype settles down your prefrontal cortex will take over and you will think from a more logical perspective, including financial, your needs and all that. Apple has mastered the ability to take advantage of hype. Make it sound like it's the best thing in the world and then sell it after doing it.