What happened to Windows Phone\Mobile

[Ray Robertson]

Love the OS, but always a waiting game. Things seemed to be progressing fine and the boom it seems as if it completely died. What happened and how did we get to this sad state? Once good OS now unstable and no Phones?

 

[Chintan Gohel]

Love the OS, but always a waiting game. Things seemed to be progressing fine and the boom it seems as if it completely died. What happened and how did we get to this sad state? Once good OS now unstable and no Phones? ��

For most users the platform is stable and there are a lot of phones being sold or being developed - we currently have the 950, 950xl, 550 and 650 from Microsoft, hp elite x3, some phones from Japan like Nuans, Jade liquid etc

 

[Ejay Lozano]

I think it has to do with the market share, app gap and always being in 3rd place (against Apple and Android)

 

[libra89]

Yeah Microsoft decided to pull back on releasing additional phones temporarily but that doesn't mean they are done.

 

[Ray Robertson]

One of the selling points of Windows Phone initially was that it could run on lesser hardware and still be snappy, but with 10 it's clunky and doesn't work well these same devices. The app fap is definitely a HUGE dilemma as well, but things seemed to be moving in the right direction, before the pull back. UWP is a great idea too, but with the bulk of users still on 8.1 and no REAL phones available or way to update existing phones people are flocking away.

 

[xandros9]

Microsoft rebooted the OS again, setting an already-behind OS back even further and also putting it on the backburner in terms of priorities.

 

[fatclue_98]

Microsoft rebooted the OS again, setting an already-behind OS back even further and also putting it on the backburner in terms of priorities.

I'll sort of agree. Yes, it's hard to play catch-up when you're always trying to re-invent yourself. But I submit to you that the latest reboot wasn't caused by a failure of the mobile OS, but rather by a universal disdain for the desktop OS. WP 8/8.1 was a wonderful concept and even tech writers (aka MS haters) lauded the UI. The problem is that Windows 8 for desktop was so bashed from the get go because a few knuckle-draggers couldn't get over the loss of the Start button. Those who hate what 10 Mobile has become need only look at the simpleton in the cubicle next door.

It was always Microsoft's idea to unify the platforms, which of course led to the untimely death of WP7 to begin with. As the desktop went, so did the mobile. That's what happens to red-headed stepchildren.

 

[Jack Neill]

I'll sort of agree. Yes, it's hard to play catch-up when you're always trying to re-invent yourself. But I submit to you that the latest reboot wasn't caused by a failure of the mobile OS, but rather by a universal disdain for the desktop OS. WP 8/8.1 was a wonderful concept and even tech writers (aka MS haters) lauded the UI. The problem is that Windows 8 for desktop was so bashed from the get go because a few knuckle-draggers couldn't get over the loss of the Start button. Those who hate what 10 Mobile has become need only look at the simpleton in the cubicle next door.

It was always Microsoft's idea to unify the platforms, which of course led to the untimely death of WP7 to begin with. As the desktop went, so did the mobile. That's what happens to red-headed stepchildren.

I don't disagree, but the slow development of W10M didn't help. WP8 was rock solid and 10 was a mess for a LONG time. They threw the baby out with the bath water.

 

[fatclue_98]

I don't disagree, but the slow development of W10M didn't help. WP8 was rock solid and 10 was a mess for a LONG time. They threw the baby out with the bath water.

Couldn't agree more. WP8/8.1 was indeed rock solid. Windows 10 was rushed, in my humblest of opinions, because of the Windows 8 backlash. Of all the Windows Phone iterations, my favorite was 7. It was much faster, had a better UI (Enyo-type sliding panels) and the kinetic scrolling was unmatched. But that's another argument altogether and not worth bringing up.

The constant "worse than Vista" comments doomed Windows 8 for desktop and subsequently mobile.

 

[earthman007]

There are a few things that we really don't know - including when MS decided that it wasn't going to be aiming W10m at the consumer market. That timing might reveal why it acted in specific ways, that didn't really drive the phone side of their business - we know when they announced it, but there may be some difference between the two points.

It had a jump to make - from platforms as well as who its target customer base was going to be. The technological jump was fairly major, with mobile capabilities lagging behind their desktop - this may have aided their decision to refocus away from consumer mobiles.

If they'd always stated that they were going to be a smaller niche player, then they wouldn't have received the same criticism that they did, ie being a poor 3rd option for all of the marketplace. As it stood, they were believed to be the slow to make progress guys, trailing in the steps of iphone and android, the latter having spread to a huge range of manufacturers.

So, their current target customers - enterprise - probably don't care 'what happened', they've been busy running their operations to be that bothered about distant tech wars. The tech journalists can be ever critical, as they've little else to do, when a company that is otherwise a giant crawls along at a snails pace and doesn't match the lofty plans that would exist if it was going to take on the leaders in the global mobile OS race. And then there are the consumers, probably most of us on here, who have invested into MS gear and like it. We - I assume - wanted to be in it for the long-haul and have now been advised that we're not really of great interest to MS. This after lots of perceived delays, whilst the new OS was developed and the market-place went from an expanding range of good handsets into a void, with ongoing delays to OS release, that delayed new handset availability.

Good businesses will be in it for the longer-term, they'll handle changes to strategy that help them to take shorter-term hits that likely drives criticism against them. Their ambition is profit. That ambition obviously can be at odds with millions of the public who want good products and services from that business, especially when they've invested in them before.

Did MS decide rather earlier than we know about that the consumer phone market wasn't really a fit to their business strategy? If they did, and even if they didn't, once they decided they didn't really want the average guy that the other OS's were chasing, then they'd have known there'd be fallout. It would have been seen as acceptable collateral damage but better to be staged, so that they could reap the benefits of us, the collateral, by having us engage in the Insider Program, to help them to produce the OS to best effect.

 

[Giddora]

Microsoft is competing against "cool" companies like Apple and Google. They are also being slaughtered by the Google monopolies in Advertising and Search which means Google basically controls what information the big mass see when they are surfing the net. A few years ago when Google announced Android I said "Android will be big because Google can change what information people are fed."... And it wouldn't even be the first time. Now they almost have a monopoly on smartphones and that will probably not change any time soon. It doesn't matter how good product are today.

 

[Chintan Gohel]

Microsoft is competing against "cool" companies like Apple and Google. They are also being slaughtered by the Google monopolies in Advertising and Search which means Google basically controls what information the big mass see when they are surfing the net. A few years ago when Google announced Android I said "Android will be big because Google can change what information people are fed."... And it wouldn't even be the first time. Now they almost have a monopoly on smartphones and that will probably not change any time soon. It doesn't matter how good product are today.

Is MS actively competing against them? If yes, in which areas? My feeling is that the competition is in productivity software and services - office 365 vs google docs/apps for work ; in OS - Windows Vs Mac OS vs Chrome - and in other software such as server software etc. When it comes to hardware - I can see the beginnings of competition in the pc/tablet/2 in 2 lineup but not yet on the mobile front

 

[Sedp23]

Microsoft took time to focus on the os this time around and develop the surface phone. They want other manufacturers to step up and they have over seas but not so much in the US. It looks like the uwp is working we are getting more apps and next week alot of those uwp apps should be working on the Xbox one. That should attract more developers as well.

I think Windows is headed in a nice direction just needs more phones available in the US and hopefully the developer support continues to grow more as we head into early next year when Microsoft comes with their new hardware

Sent from mTalk

 

[Ray Robertson]

Some of the my biggest dilemmas are

1. I have an HTC M8 more than capable of from a spec perspective, but no real(Solid) upgrade path for it and as a daily driver can't deal with a buggy os.

2. Not sure if it's a OS or Service provider issue, but getting my text messages, especially group text messages is a NIGHTMARE "Get Media Content" everyday all day and then when I'm able to get them they are all out of order. (Anyone else get this issue?)

3. APP gap is starting to become too much. I know some folks say they don't use this or that, but I feel it's a case of you can't miss what you never had. If apps don't matter than what's the point of even having a "Smart Phone"?

4. Lastly I was hoping for the Alcatel Idol as a last resort, but as usual with Windows Phone/Mobile everything is a wait. Not a fan of the Lumia 9 series and then I have to buy the phone and still turn around and buy a Mozo case to get it to look up to snuff.

I LOVE what was happening with Windows Phone and still LOVE the idea and the option, but as long as it's been out and with it taking such a HUGE step backwards, not to mention for the most part RADIO SILENCE from MS and even from this site on the Mobile front I feel like they want me to leave. When was the last time we've heard some REALLY GOOD NEWS about the Windows Mobile?

 

[aximtreo]

I love this descriptive sentence. I hope you don't mind if I quote you at times.

"The problem is that Windows 8 for desktop was so bashed from the get go because a few knuckle-draggers couldn't get over the loss of the Start button."

 

[extrikate]

I love this descriptive sentence. I hope you don't mind if I quote you at times.

"The problem is that Windows 8 for desktop was so bashed from the get go because a few knuckle-draggers couldn't get over the loss of the Start button."

Just like the knuckle-draggers who bashed Windows 95 for introducing the start menu!!!

MS has a popularity problem and most people have it backwards. They think MS is struggling to innovate in order to gain market share. In reality, their high market share in desktop/laptop OS and productivity suites is what slows innovation/change. Everything they do has to be incremental so that people aren't left struggling to learn how to use their devices all over again. It is easy for a startup/new player to come in and build market share rapidly because new customers don't have expectations of familiarity.

 

[RumoredNow]

Just like the knuckle-draggers who bashed Windows 95 for introducing the start menu!!!

MS has a popularity problem and most people have it backwards. They think MS is struggling to innovate in order to gain market share. In reality, their high market share in desktop/laptop OS and productivity suites is what slows innovation/change. Everything they do has to be incremental so that people aren't left struggling to learn how to use their devices all over again. It is easy for a startup/new player to come in and build market share rapidly because new customers don't have expectations of familiarity.

 

[Chintan Gohel]

Microsoft took time to focus on the os this time around and develop the surface phone. They want other manufacturers to step up and they have over seas but not so much in the US. It looks like the uwp is working we are getting more apps and next week alot of those uwp apps should be working on the Xbox one. That should attract more developers as well.

I think Windows is headed in a nice direction just needs more phones available in the US and hopefully the developer support continues to grow more as we head into early next year when Microsoft comes with their new hardware

Sent from mTalk

And we need to get out of this mentality that the US market is the major market, it's not and it should not be. If I'm not wrong, the smartphone market in the US is nearly saturated while the smartphone market is still rapidly advancing in many countries all over the world. :smile:

 

[Geodude074]

Windows Phone has been dead since its arrival. I remember back in 2011 in a bar, my friend showing me her fancy new smartphone - an HTC Windows Phone 7 - and we spent 15 min trying to figure out how to save a person's phone number once they called you, with no success. We asked people sitting at the bar if they could figure it out and no one could.

Such has been the case of Windows Phone since its inception. It is a cluttered, non-user friendly, non-intuitive mess, and every Windows Phone ****** out there will deny it till they turn blue in the face. People don't like Windows Phone because the interface is weird, confusing, and once they finally learn the curve they discover it doesn't have any apps that they need.

People buy smartphones for the apps. If they didn't buy it for the apps, they would just get a regular phone. If a smartphone doesn't have the apps they want, why stick with that phone when there are two obvious alternatives out there? They have no obligation to torture themselves to sticking to an inferior OS while everyone else and their mom is playing Pokemon Go.

 

[ahmedamash]

Windows Phone has been dead since its arrival. I remember back in 2011 in a bar, my friend showing me her fancy new smartphone - an HTC Windows Phone 7 - and we spent 15 min trying to figure out how to save a person's phone number once they called you, with no success. We asked people sitting at the bar if they could figure it out and no one could.

Such has been the case of Windows Phone since its inception. It is a cluttered, non-user friendly, non-intuitive mess, and every Windows Phone ****** out there will deny it till they turn blue in the face. People don't like Windows Phone because the interface is weird, confusing, and once they finally learn the curve they discover it doesn't have any apps that they need.

People buy smartphones for the apps. If they didn't buy it for the apps, they would just get a regular phone. If a smartphone doesn't have the apps they want, why stick with that phone when there are two obvious alternatives out there? They have no obligation to torture themselves to sticking to an inferior OS while everyone else and their mom is playing Pokemon Go.

Yes, i agree people buy smartphone for apps and we are too far behind from android and iOS. Its too annoying when my friends ask me how many Pok?mon you have catch i cant answer them because we don't even have Pok?mon app in store and thats not only with Pok?mon app, every new app launch for android & ios, then we beg them to make it available for windows os then it available for windows and sometimes they didn't even listen to us( Snapchat) i don't know this problem will solve in future or this will be the strongest reason for the end of windows phone.