News: Microsoft's future in mobile?

[fdalbor]

My first smartphone was a windows phone, and for the past 4 years i suggested the OS to everyone. Two months ago i GAVE away all my windows phones and my dell win tablet. Only way i could get rid of them. I switched to android, and will never buy a phone by microsoft again. Like you said, they are starting AGAIN. Sometimes; even when you want something to work , it just does not. They have had too many agains for consumers to give them another. I will still follow the forum, just to see what is happening. But i have wasted too much money already on their products. For me; and most others there will be no more agains.

 

[theefman]

my Samsung S7 sits mostly in the drawer because android is pretty crap as an OS, sure it has tons of useless apps and gimiky apps. Windows 10 Mobile is coming long very nicely and will only get much better as we get into 2017. Devices will come from MS in 2017. The smartphone market right now is a shark tank and most are being eaten up by cheap Chinese oems. Samsung are starting to struggle, Apple saw its first double digit YOY drop last Q, MS did the right thing in backing out right now. The new Nokia stuff will too find it extreme tough to do anything in the mobile market and I wouldn't give them a very high % of doing anything that would succeed. The current smartphone market is in for a huge shock over the next year. MS hopefully will have something new and unique in the mobile space in 2017 that will actually put them ahead of the curve.

I'm curious why you (and other Microsoft cheerleaders) think all other oems will continue to struggle but somehow Microsoft will produce a miracle device next year (again!) and be immune to the same "shark tank" effects of the "cheap Chinese OEMs".

 

[N_LaRUE]

I'm curious why you (and other Microsoft cheerleaders) think all other oems will continue to struggle but somehow Microsoft will produce a miracle device next year (again!) and be immune to the same "shark tank" effects of the "cheap Chinese OEMs".

Well said.

Good point. The mobile market is thoroughly saturated. More and more people are not jumping on new phones when they come out. Most look at what they have and keep it a while longer. Who wants to dish out that kind of cash all the time on the next 'new' thing?

The tech articles go on and on about 'compelling hardware' but at the end of the day, does it work? Does it do what I want? Does it look decent? Is it a good price? Are the questions people want answered.

I'll never buy a new phone at release ever again regardless how much I like it simply because I refuse to pay a premium for the privilege. Since my phone is almost two years old now I'll be thinking of my next one but really it does what I need right now so I'm in no hurry. So unless it breaks, I'm not changing.

 

[Krystianpants]

I remember I was saying this when leaks got out of the lumia 950/XL. I was saying they will be the last of the lumias before MS starts the surface line of 2-in-1's. People were very negative towards me though I was right. I was also right about MS wanting to kill off its phone market share and leaving only the hardcore fans. The reason being is that the fans usually keep up to date with latest hardware so when they move to their new device category, most fans will follow. Some will still hold on to the lumia 950/xl for a while but likely not a very long time. So enthusiasts won't expect support on 3 year old phones. Their entire market share is made up of people on extremely old outdated phones. If they only use them for calling and basic stuff, keep using them. But they shouldn't expect support for apps or anything.

Everything will be going towards their 2-in-1 category now. This is where market share is growing and putting more hardware types into the market will grow it even further.

Expect something like a surface book but in a really small form factor. Almost like a wallet. The advantage will be it can be used for hand held gaming. It will have 2 screens and detachable. Not 100% sure but I imagine something close to this. How it will look or how it will be done is a mystery, if this is the path they take.

 

[Brian Emmerling]

Yes, this isn't really surprising to me. Why have a Lumia and a surface line? Lumia is the leftover of Nokia.

 

[xandros9]

Yes, this isn't really surprising to me. Why have a Lumia and a surface line? Lumia is the leftover of Nokia.

Well, some companies have a consumer/cheaper lineup and one for powerusers/professionals.

Like Palm Tungsten vs. Zire handhelds.
Lenovo IdeaPad and ThinkPad.
Samsung Galaxy A and S for example.

Although I can't see Microsoft going ham with Lumia again if a Surface phone is in town.

 

[Norris Rochelle]

WP Isn't Dead!

I?ve been browsing the internet and I?ve seen tons of articles about how Microsoft is getting rid of Windows Phone and how Windows Phone is dead. This is one of the most ridiculous things I?ve ever seen on the internet. Apparently people think Microsoft is giving up on Windows Phone because of the recent business deal involving the Nokia name being sold. We have constant OS updates, tons of features and bug fixes, new phones, apps and much more to look at so how could Windows Phone be dead? With Microsoft rolling out so many Universal apps and features the only way for you to think Windows Phone is dead is if you didn't actually have a Windows Phone lol. If you haven't already heard one of the recent features Microsoft is working on in addition to its already superior Windows Hello, is the fingerprint scanning technology. Microsoft specifically said that Windows Phone wasn't its main focus this year giving it plenty of room to become something better than it already is. Maybe Microsoft is shifting the focus from Windows Phone to focus on the mobile OS and what the phone needs before it goes full speed. We know that Microsoft is going to continue improving Windows Phone because not already did they just release more Windows Phones made for W10 Mobile, but we also have other manufacturers shipping Windows Phones with Windows 10 Mobile already on the device. I believe Microsoft is holding off on Phones and hardware until they fine tune the OS so they don't face hardware problems or for other reasons. How do you feel about Windows Phone being dead? Is it dead to you? Let me know!

 

[Pete]

Re: WP Isn't Dead!

I agree with you.

But people are just fixated on market share and sales figures.

 

[N_LaRUE]

Re: WP Isn't Dead!

I think you have a few details messed up there. Allow me to correct them.

MS never owned the name Nokia. They had use of it for a bit but they stopped using it pretty much as soon as possible.

Nokia has remained it's own company, which is fairly large and hasn't sold it's name, only licensed it.

MS just recently killed off the Lumia name, which is understandable since they want to start making MS phones and not have any relation to Nokia any more since Nokia is returning to the mobile sphere. Nokia is making phones again via a 3rd party. Hence the licensing of the name.

As for Windows Phone being dead, well yes Windows Phone is dead, Windows 10 Mobile is the correct name.

MS has a mountain to climb. To suggest otherwise is to not realise that. They have less than 1% market share currently. Yes they are doing 'great' things, but so is everyone else.

I jumped off Windows Phone simply because it wasn't doing what I wanted. I don't hate it but doesn't mean I'm rushing back any time soon. Doesn't mean I won't be back but currently I'm not interested in being a beta tester for the W10 experiment. I have enough grief with my laptops and other kit with W10 that the last thing I want is the same with a phone.

That's my point of view.

As for it being dead, well it all depends doesn't it but W10M is part of W10 so technically how can it be dead?

 

[harihar akhil]

Re: WP Isn't Dead!

I would tell you windows phone is dead and abandoned not windows 10 mobile.

 

[sumton]

Re: WP Isn't Dead!

yeah its not dead but its not alive, its living like a ghost for another year.
jumping from windows phone to android or ios was a normal reaction to Microsoft actions they saw them building better apps for android and ios while windows phone getting ignored they switched.

 

[deepak12345]

Re: WP Isn't Dead!

hmm if it continues as a ghost for the rest of the year i wonder if it will remain around till 2017. :|

 

[Maurizio Troso]

Re: WP Isn't Dead!

That's the 3rd time a 3ad identical like that is opened, after moderators closed the others due to looping discussion... -_-

 

[dlalonde]

Re: WP Isn't Dead!

The news itself is pretty confusing. I've been trying to decipher the whole thing since it was announced last week and still don't understand what that means for the future of MS and phones other than Windows 10 mobile is not dead. As I understand it, MS won't be making Lumia phones anymore. That's it. W10m is still being supported, updated, whether it's for OEMs or current Lumias. The fact that they recently allowed it to be used on 7 inch devices means there's probably going to be W10m small tablets soon enough. Add the never ending rumours of Surface phone and you understand why they dropped the Lumia name. But as far as we know now, the OS itself does has a future.

 

[Darkseider]

Re: WP Isn't Dead!

I think Windows Phone will do just fine. With the upcoming Surface phone, you know it's happening, and the release of Redstone in June it will bring a lot to the table. My Lumia 950 is my first ever Windows phone coming from Android and I can say that I miss nothing from Android. Not to mention that the device, OS and interface seem far more responsive. I for one see a bright future for WP and am glad I made the switch.

 

[Brian Emmerling]

This is true, but these split product lines where done from positions of leadership, ie; the Samsung Galaxy was already the top selling android handset, beating out the droid before they released two models.

 

[aximtreo]

Re: WP Isn't Dead!

I personally don't care what the label says on the phone itself. I just want a high end phone that runs WM 10 to the fullest. If the upcoming HP phone is the first to offer me what I want; fine. If MS prefers not to make hardware, only phone software, fine. Just please make it work. That was the drawing card to WM7 and WM 8; it just worked.

 

[PF Mail]

Re: WP Isn't Dead!

I think Windows Phone will do just fine. With the upcoming Surface phone, you know it's happening, and the release of Redstone in June it will bring a lot to the table. My Lumia 950 is my first ever Windows phone coming from Android and I can say that I miss nothing from Android. Not to mention that the device, OS and interface seem far more responsive. I for one see a bright future for WP and am glad I made the switch.

I see with the introduction of the Surface phone not helping their mobile market. What it would do is to pull users away from their existing Nokia/Lumia line. By redefining their "phones" to the Surface brand, which is doing pretty well, I would say that the Windows phone in the Nokia/Lumia aspect is dead. But the thing is that Surface is really a 2-in-1 PC, unless Microsoft totally changes their "phones," the app gap is still going to be there.

 

[fdalbor]

The real problem is the have disappointedly so many people, so many times very few have any faith in them at all. I gave up about 2 months and went to Android. Its not like I (and millions of others) did not give them a chance. 820, 925, 520, 635, 640 and a Dell tablet. No more. I still have a 640 in a drawer somewhere. I DO NOT believe it will ever get W10 despite what Microsoft says. Oh yea its coming soon. Went by 3 Cricket stores on the way home yesterday and they all said they cant give away the 650. They have already lowered the price twice. Never again.

 

[fdalbor]

If you will notice most of the moderators have moved on to something else also.