Missed opportunity

[N_LaRUE]

This is interesting. I have a bunch of iPhone users around me who like the new iPhone. Some are very fervent Apple supporters as well.

However, MS is in no position to attract anyone, let alone iPhone users. The minute users had any issues with using apps they are used to they'd leave in a blink of an eye. Why? Because most people are used to what they're used to.

If anyone leaves Apple for any other OS it will have to meet they same standards that they're used to. I've read many stories of Apple fans leaving for Android and even trying WP then returning to an iPhone simply because they can't get the same experience.

Regardless how you feel about Apple or Android they have their pluses. So unless you're just keen on MS products and fine with things they way they are, you're probably not going to go for a MS product at this point in time. That may change in a year or two but not now.

The mobile market is a bit flat at the moment and the consumer mindset has changed drastically in the last couple of years.

 

[Tamoor Arshad]

I am a Apple fan, tried Android and hated it.

 

[DKD116]

The new iPhone might be appealing to a lot of people, but many will lose their dongles, or not keep them in their pockets, and will be stuck with a disabled phone when wanting to listen to music (In the car, on a stereo, with other headphones). They will also not be able to charge the phone when listening to music with a dongle.

 

[Jcmg62]

The iPhone 7 may be the most uninspired device to spring forth from the loins of Jony Ive, but that doesn't mean the Apple fan base won't buy it.

It's a safe bet to say that the thing will still sell by the tens of millions.

And even with a rubbish iPhone and a Samsung device that goes the extra mile to keep your hands warm, there's literally nothing that Microsoft can throw into the ring to try and disrupt the market.

Even if, and this is a huge if, Microsoft announce the most awe inspiring, technologically advanced, drool worthy, eye candy of a Surface Phone in the next 30 - 60 days it's still going to be running a somewhat incomplete OS and have next to zero app developer support.

I've been saying this since adopting the Windows Phone OS back in early 2010....Microsoft need Apps. Ballmer's "developers, developers, developers!" outburst might have seemed insane, but the guy was 100% right.

All Microsoft can do is continue to refine/enhance the OS and occasionally bring out a decent phone (or better yet, get an OEM to do it).

There is no magic bullet for this. Hell, some of us here have been waiting for 6 years for the magic to happen. That's several lifetimes in the world of tech and we're still waiting.

I'm pretty certain that neither Apple nor Android is going to be the architect of their own downfall. Apple will sell enough 7's to slow the sales decline. They'll launch the iPhone 8 in twelve months time. It'll look a bit different and have some basic hardware updates and the whole world will light up like a Christmas tree.

Samsung will ensure that every single Galaxy Note 7 that's been sold is replaced for free. It'll cost them Billions but they'll take the hit and will benefit massively from the publicity as the company that cares enough to lose money in order to keep their customers safe and happy. They'll look like corporate gods.

As for Microsoft, they'll just keep swimming and see where the river takes them

 

[Witness]

There won't be many leaving the system. Apple has a cult-like following. There might be a lot of them wait for the iPhone 8, though.

This. I heard many moans around me as well. To that, I know they aren't going anywhere, anyways. They'll just hang onto their current iPhone. I still know some folks toting around iPhone 4s/5. I still have my iPhone 6 128GB and was considering the 7+ just to play with because of the twin cameras, but the lack of a headphone jack was enough to give me pause. Not that I use a corded headphone all the time, but because it's another one of Apple's big middle finger to users and the industry, like they're the one calling the shots on what should be the standard.

 

[Jakoh]

the price entry point to the iphone is the same. the iphone however is much better.
you don't HAVE to spend $160 for the wireless headphones, it comes with some.

this post seems like a hate post.

 

[Danobe]

A "hate post"? Calm down, it's about a tech move very few apart from the most die-hard fans applaud. There's a reason the minijack is still so widespread: It's useful. Why would people want to let a consumer product dictate whatever else you can buy and use with it?

Some, of course, will jump in, but many people will not buy into it, because they know that technology changes.

I am reminded of when I was a mac user, and they ditched the firewire port entirely in their powerbooks. The concensus among new users was that I should just swap my recording equipment (both studio and portable) to have it fit the computer, regardless of it being worth many times more than the Powerbook. I am also reminded about the hordes of people arguing that having a SD slot was old-hat, and that Apple didn't include one because it was not needed, unnecessary, and pointless. About that time, I jumped ship, and what do you know: Two years on from that, Apple included an SD slot, and lo and behold, suddenly having a measly SD-slot was the best thing ever - and Apple was lauded as the "inventor of this new fast card reader built in".

Amazeballs, LOL; OMG, No Minijack is the way forward!! FTW (and other such nonsense).

 

[RumoredNow]

this post seems like a hate post.

Hardly a hate post.

It's an appraisal of an open window of opportunity.

The focus of the OP, in my opinion as a reader and not a moderator, is that there is a unique situation currently that has not been seen before, the Samsung Flag just released has battery stability issues and the iPhones just announced are being met with some fan and press criticism. The discussion really is along the lines of bemoaning the fact that Microsoft does not have a device that can be championed at this time and this is a "missed opportunity" that may not be seen again for some time.

 

[Leonel Funes]

I just recently spoke with a friend about this!! He has a 6S Plus, I have an Icon. I've managed to get him a bit more interested in Windows phones (he's not exactly a '******', likes to bash Apple every chance he gets). We both agreed that if there's one thing Microsoft should do, it's to release killer phones now! Both Samsung and Apple fumbled with their latest products, LG just barely got any attention for their V20, and few companies have deep enough pockets like Microsoft has to advertise agressively. Let's hope they think about this and actually have something ready for everyone soon

 

[Jcmg62]

I just recently spoke with a friend about this!! He has a 6S Plus, I have an Icon. I've managed to get him a bit more interested in Windows phones (he's not exactly a '******', likes to bash Apple every chance he gets). We both agreed that if there's one thing Microsoft should do, it's to release killer phones now! Both Samsung and Apple fumbled with their latest products, LG just barely got any attention for their V20, and few companies have deep enough pockets like Microsoft has to advertise agressively. Let's hope they think about this and actually have something ready for everyone soon

No doubt, this would be a pivotal opportunity for Microsoft to launch a killer phone, but the fact is they don't have one to hand......as far as we know.

Maybe they'll surprise us in October

 

[ttsoldier]

No doubt, this would be a pivotal opportunity for Microsoft to launch a killer phone, but the fact is they don't have one to hand......as far as we know.

Maybe they'll surprise us in October

Even if they had one to give us now, people would not switch.

Why? No apps. We need to face reality...

 

[Danobe]

Even if they had one to give us now, people would not switch.

Why? No apps. We need to face reality...

Well, I switched recently (with a 950) from Android. Tired of Google, and I'll never own anything Apple ever again.

 

[ttsoldier]

Well, I switched recently (with a 950) from Android. Tired of Google, and I'll never own anything Apple ever again.

We're in the minority.... To make a staggering difference in our current market share by getting users to switch from Andorid and/or IOS to Windows Phone... We need apps.

 

[gourav mopidevi]

I loved iPhone 7 plus...i'm a windows user from L1020 I used L1020,730,535,640,930 special edition, now using L950xl with continuum dock..i used to hate apple products that said iPhone 7 plus jet black and black is awesome...they gonna sell like hot cakes..

 

[Danobe]

We're in the minority.... To make a staggering difference in our current market share by getting users to switch from Andorid and/or IOS to Windows Phone... We need apps.

That's true. I just wanted to make the point that there are people out there who will switch.

 

[mlbrowninsc]

I have a 6s and a 950xl. I love the screen on the 950 and have most of my apps handled on windows the rest I just use the web. I would love to see wells come to wallet which would likely be enough to keep me on the 950 for another year while Microsoft messes around getting the surface phone ready. But I love how Apple Pay works. It's coming to more and more stores and Apple has tons of banks on board. I was looking to upgrade to the 7 plus but after seeing the keynote I may just stand by a year and see what comes out next year. Really not a fan of android as I hate their updates tied to the carriers so not going there.

 

[Attic Muse]

As much as we all want the mythical beast that is "Surface Phone", there is still a limit to how fast Microsoft can design and build it. Once you have a product, it's feasible to release updated models on a roughly yearly basis, but getting there in the first place often takes a few years. So with Panos only getting control over the phone hardware division like what, a year ago?, it's just unfortunately not realistic to expect them to have Surface Phone out and ready by now. Missed opportunity, sure maybe, but sometimes that's the way things go. There was a lot that had to happen to get them here, including Surface actually becoming popular and successful (starting with the Pro 3), as well as Windows 10, so while it can seem agonisingly slow in the moment, it's all leading up to this (hopefully) great thing, and great things take time.

 

[Danobe]

[...]great things take time.

So does procrastination ;o)

 

[dlandry2008]

Counting the days until I leave the Win 10 Mobile ecosystem for the LG V20. By the time the Surface Phone comes out I should be ready for a handset upgrade. That is if any carrier picks it up. I would give the HP Elite a shot if T-Mobile had it. No such luck

 

[camaroz1985]

You can buy it and use it with T-mobile. You don't have to rely on the carrier, that's the beauty of unlocked devices.