Is the HP Elite X3 Windows Phone's Swan Song?

[Angry_Mushroom]

Meant to click yup, not the other option. This could very well be Windows 10 Mobile's swan song. The entire platform has lost traction over the past 2 years, and MS doesn't seem to even be trying to push Win10 Mobile for anyone. The fact it was in beta... or still is, kinda kills it for me, and probably most users interested in a platform. I wanted to give them a chance, but the lack of apps and compelling hardware saw me leave for greener pastures.

As for the Surface phone... I've been saying it since the 930... Show me some actual hardware, and I'll believe it's a thing. For now it's become the greatest piece of vaporware since the Phantom Console... or the Acura NSX. "Rumors" that I can trace back to when I joined this community have swirled and dissipated as projects surfaced and were cancelled.

 

[HeyCori]

I would suspect that at least one company hopes the HP Elite X3 is not Windows Phone's swan song -- HP. I seriously doubt HP is spending millions to create, market, and support a rather expensive phone just to give WP users a proper farewell.

 

[Krystianpants]

I doubt they want a second OS from another software giant. They want their own.

No, they want an OS that can let them implement any features they want. Sort of like they do on PC's with their own drivers they work on with MS. But most of all they want to make money off their own app store. Seriously though, writing an OS is not easy and requires a lot of resources/experience.

So only way they would go windows 10 mobile is if MS built in some sort of configuration where the app store purchases made by samsung redirect percentage to Samsung. Heck, even if they share it.

Consider Samsung has a patent for a phone that can run windows 10 mobile and Android simultaneously. It's kind of odd as it's not a dual boot, you literally run both at once and can swap. Not sure how I feel about it though.

 

[xandros9]

An ode to Microsoft....

Roses are red
Violets are blue
Where the hell is my Surface Phone
I'm tired of waiting, dammit!!

The last part doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, but it does have a certain poignancy if I say so myself

Maybe we should bring that ReleaseMyPre guy back out of retirement!

 

[cnashx]

So... I read the title as the question and not the actual poll question... Tricky.
So my answer is opposite of what I voted.
I do not thing the Elite x3 will be the last Windows Mobile Phone. I still see a bright future for Windows Mobile. it's not an overnight change, it will take time.

 

[Jakoh]

If X3 is the last Windows Mobile phone...then the time is not too far away to have full Window10 on an X86 Phone.

 

[alexoiman]

Nope but i think it will be the best wp available for the next couple of years.
Or at least untill someone comes up with a win32 capable phone.
I mean i definitely dont see MS releasing a surface phone anytime next year.

 

[DOGC_Kyle]

Elite x3 isn't even being advertised as a phone, it's a pocket-sized Windows computer that happens to have a cellular connection and earphone. I have little doubt there will be more Windows computers, and some of them will probably fit in your pocket.
Other than system UI, processor (to be fair, this limits apps), and size, what's the difference between the Elite x3 and any Windows computer? What if there was a 6" Intel Atom-based tablet running Windows? We have 8" tablets that can run every Windows app, why not 6"?

 

[Joe920]

This poll needs a followup poll:

Poll: Did you vote for the answer you intended to select?

* yes, I inadvertently selected the wrong answer
* no, I selected the answer as intended

 

[Iain_S]

well with Samsung loosing billions over the note 7 fiasco I would count them in for anything windows mobile anytime soon.

 

[libra89]

There will be others, I just don't know how many there would be. I think this will be an interesting space to see.

 

[Ryujingt3]

Reportedly, Uncle Sammy and Miss Croft have kissed and made up. Sammy owed the gal a lot of money and they've come to an arrangement. You may see them back out on the town together yet... Remember that Tizen isn't working out so much and Sammy wants a second OS.

That would be fantastic if it was true. Also, didn't Samsung recently patent a device dual booting Android and Windows? Maybe that adds fuel to this particular fire? After all, they could have picked another OS as the secondary one. But they specifically picked Windows Mobile.

I think the future of Windows Mobile could be Microsoft letting other OEM that typically run Android (e.g. Xiaomi) run Windows Mobile as a custom ROM. That way Microsoft don't need to worry about the hardware side of things and Windows Mobile gets deeper penetration due to the massive amount of devices running Android.

I am sure many Android owners would be willing to try Windows Mobile on their device if they were given the choice.

 

[RumoredNow]

Also, didn't Samsung recently patent a device dual booting Android and Windows? Maybe that adds fuel to this particular fire?

Seeing a report of that new patent inspired me to put Samsung into the conversation for sure.

 

[Ma Rio]

There's no way W10M is going to die. MS has way too much money to keep it alive, even if it doesn't perform well. Also we'll see at least a few more devices, one of them being the rummored Surface Phone.
It is possible that W10M won't rise for another few years. It's quite possible. But I know that Android can't stay on top if it just keeps going the same thing over and over (iOS too). W10M will allways be around, and will just wait for the opportunity to start rising as it will offer something iOS and Android won't.
The only way for it to die is if MS kills it intentionally, and I just don't see that happening. Though I had the same thought about Symbian (which was one of the best OSes out there) and here we are now, with most people not even knowing what it is.

 

[StarLord0890]

Having never used any smartphone other than windows phone since the smartphones arrived I really do not wanna see Microsoft abandon w10m. Go windows 10 mobile !!

 

[mehtanilay10]

IPhone uses there own Hardware & Software.
Google trying to create Nexus under own label with own set of H/W & S/W.
Where MS is giving up on Lumia which is one of the popular series.
I know OEM is good for success as well as profit but it does not mean stop own brand!

I hope MS come back with own HW & SW with surface phone.

 

[Paolo Ferrazza]

Voted No just because OP can't make a proper poll.

Well it's so obvious that there will be more phones that the poll is completely useless anyway.

 

[thekonger]

W10M is dead. MS had a chance and was going up in market share a few years ago. And then for some inexplicable reason they quit trying to get them into carriers stores and even online many carriers only offered 2 year old phones. I was a Sprint customer who really didn't even have any W10M choices. You can't gain market share if people can't even find your phones. Now apps are abandoning W10M left and right. They have done themselves in.

MS can still have a hugely successful phone but only if they create a full W10 x86 phone. That's the one phone I would actually pay full price for up front. But they still need to get it into carriers on payment plans. Overseas it might do well selling outright but in the US 80% of customers buy on a xx-year plan.

 

[Paolo Ferrazza]

W10M is dead. False, it's receving many builds, and, as noted by Netmarketshare worldwide usage of windows on mobile is still at 3%...this can't keep up for long on this we agree

MS had a chance and was going up in market share a few years ago. And then for some inexplicable reason they quit trying to get them into carriers stores and even online many carriers only offered 2 year old phones. I was a Sprint customer who really didn't even have any W10M choices. You can't gain market share if people can't even find your phones. True

Now apps are abandoning W10M left and right. False, some leaving many coming. I'd say it's not worse than the past 3 years.

They have done themselves in.

MS can still have a hugely successful phone but only if they create a full W10 x86 phone. That's the one phone I would actually pay full price for up front. But they still need to get it into carriers on payment plans. Overseas it might do well selling outright but in the US 80% of customers buy on a xx-year plan. With today tech it's not an option and they started a road on which less and less apps should be Win32 so, while you'd like that, it probably isn't the solution to the problem and they are trying to achieve something much more impressive. And anyway the two best selling OS out there do not run Win32.

 

[Allen Rhodes]

Theres no emoji good enough to express me pounding my head against the desk hard enough. No.... for cripes sake NO its not. They have an event coming up to profile 3rd party phones AND the unconfirmed confirmed Surface Phone. Can we stop with the doom and gloom. We are safe for a couple of years guys. New apps and support popping up every month. Stop, please just stop.