What if Microsoft's Surface Phone is like Google's Nexus?

[Arun3]

So here is something that I have been thinking of for the past few weeks about the future of Windows Phone. We have heard from several sources that Windows phone as we knew till now, is dead. Whether one chooses to believe it or not is his pejorative. It may just be the semantics aka Windows Phone, that is dead. But the new realm of Windows on Mobile is flourishing. Mobile is a huge part, if not the foremost one for Mr. Nadella's vision of "mobile first, cloud first" to hold true.

So here's the thing, what if Microsoft does a Google and makes their version of "Surface" phones as the latter makes their Nexus lines? Rope in an OEM or two to manufacture and sell their mobile efforts. They can license Windows 10 to the OEMs at a reduced price or make it free for pushing MS's mobile (aka cellphone) efforts. Microsoft has been known to work closely with HP and other companies in making their current breed of svelte PCs. Why can't this happen with phones?

I for one would like Dell to be the foremost partner and see the revival of Dell Venue Pro. It was one of the best looking phones of the bygone era (if I may say so). Dell has made Windows laptops "sexy" with their new breed of XPSs. I would like to see them do that with Windows phone.

What do you guys think? Is it a good idea? And again, this is just a "what if" scenario. Microsoft may well make their own phones.

 

[MikeX74]

It's a good idea(in theory), but the Surface Phone, in whatever form it takes, won't solve the one issue that holds the platform back=apps. If the devs and apps don't come, it won't matter who makes it.

 

[Arun3]

Absolutely agree... Apps are critical to the platform. People need a phone to do what other smartphones do, first, before anything else.

via the W. Central App for Android on One plus 2.

 

[anon(8532178)]

Hmm I was just thinking about this recently.

Posted via the Windows Central App for Nexus 5x

 

[vEEP pEEP]

How is a Surface Phone going to be any different from what is out now?

 

[anon(5383410)]

How is a Surface Phone going to be any different from what is out now?

It won't be but people are in love with the idea that it's going to reinvent the wheel. Everyone wants a shiny new toy yesterday. It'll underwhelm (because it can't teleport you through time) and still won't have Snapchat or any bank app besides Wells Fargo so the same people claiming they're going to leave today will be a saying it again.

 

[Arun3]

It won't be but people are in love with the idea that it's going to reinvent the wheel. Everyone wants a shiny new toy yesterday. It'll underwhelm (because it can't teleport you through time) and still won't have Snapchat or any bank app besides Wells Fargo so the same people claiming they're going to leave today will be a saying it again.

You seem to know the future with certainty!

 

[mark233]

or any bank app besides Wells Fargo

USAA Bank makes a really nice app and is available for WM

 

[Kram Sacul]

So here is something that I have been thinking of for the past few weeks about the future of Windows Phone. We have heard from several sources that Windows phone as we knew till now, is dead. Whether one chooses to believe it or not is his pejorative. It may just be the semantics aka Windows Phone, that is dead. But the new realm of Windows on Mobile is flourishing. Mobile is a huge part, if not the foremost one for Mr. Nadella's vision of "mobile first, cloud first" to hold true.

Windows 10 Mobile is many things but "flourishing" is about the last thing that comes to mind. The weeds in my back yard are flourishing. Windows 10 Mobile hasn't even been watered yet.

As for Nadella's vision of mobile first...

 

[Arun3]

View attachment 122247

On the contrary, the above pic proves my point of mobile first being on the forefront. Here is what I mean. For Nadella, also the new Microsoft, mobile does not just mean mobile phones (aka cellphones)., it means the mobility of experience, which in this case being Microsoft services like Office, Outlook, Groove and recently typing (in the form of Swift acquisition). The traditional meaning of mobile aka cellphone is dead to them. This has been explained multiple times here in the forum and else where. Also refer to my previous post:http://forums.windowscentral.com/wi...ive-surface-phone-save-windows-10-mobile.html )

Not too distant in the future we probably will see Microsoft services being used on all mobile platforms. An iPhone will essentially be a "Windows phone" with people using Microsoft services like the key board, to the calendar, to email, to Cortana and Office. The hardware doesn't matter; Microsoft may well own the Services part of all iPhones and Android phones combined.. To me that is "power". It is underestimated now; Microsoft is slowly and quietly playing it right without much fanfare and bruhaa. Satya is nothing short of a visionary. Microft's Windows mobile may well not include a mobile phone (a hardware) in future. Who knows! But I like the way the company is heading, creating its own distinct path and not just going with the flow.

 

[Arun3]

How is a Surface Phone going to be any different from what is out now?

Well, I don't now! It may be something be radically different, creating its own category. OR not have no idea! For what it is worth (http://forums.windowscentral.com/wi...ive-surface-phone-save-windows-10-mobile.html)

 

[anon(5383410)]

You seem to know the future with certainty!

Yup I'm a psychic and my powers are telling me that the surface phone will be a phone.

 

[TechFreak1]

Yup I'm a psychic and my powers are telling me that the surface phone will be a phone.

Are you sure about, that? :winktongue:




I just hope we don't end up with something like this..... :grincry:

 

[Arun3]

Yup I'm a psychic and my powers are telling me that the surface phone will be a phone.

Hahaha.. I don't think you need to be a psychic to know that a phone that's going to be released in future will be a phone.
I was commenting on your psychic powers to know with certainty that it will underwhelm and not have Snapchat and bank apps other than WellsFargo.

 

[ClixT]

How is a Surface Phone going to be any different from what is out now?

Here just for laughs and giggles, I photoshopped this concept hahahaha

 

[TechFreak1]

Here just for laughs and giggles, I photoshopped this concept hahahaha

View attachment 122264

Lol, wow those icons sure look pretty dated, other than the colours... in terms of a static UX nothing really has moved beyond the IBM's Simon "Smartphone" :winktongue:. Pity the crazy geniuses behind that project didn't get the credits that they are due imo.

 

[ClixT]

Lol, wow those icons sure look pretty dated, other than the colours... in terms of a static UX nothing really has moved beyond the IBM's Simon "Smartphone" :winktongue:. Pity the crazy geniuses behind that project didn't get the credits that they are due imo.

I dont know anything about ios haha. I just took that photo from google lol.

 

[TechFreak1]

I dont know anything about ios haha. I just took that photo from google lol.

Lol, fair enough .

ios has come along away from the first iphone, people forget it didn't have the basics like copy, paste and mms out of the gate - they came with ios 3.

When you've used phones like the 3210 which had a simple colourless display, a grid of icons just looks bland.

Take away the apps from ios and android, they are no different the palm pda's of years past.

 

[MikeX74]

Here just for laughs and giggles, I photoshopped this concept hahahaha

View attachment 122264

A Surface Phone made by Apple would sell like hot cakes, mostly because Apple would actually bother to advertise it.

 

[RumoredNow]

It is what Microsoft already did with Surface Tablet. They showed a strong direction and OEMs followed. Pre-Surface, how many tablets were running Windows Desktop? Not many. Now they are everywhere and the number of OEMs offering them, as well as the number of models, is growing all the time...

Microsoft has already hinted this is the direction they want to go. They are scaling back from pumping out the number of new releases which Nokia did every year and they want to show an example at certain price points, while allowing OEMs to fill the market.

Here is the difference.

Google works with an OEM (or two) each cycle to make a benchmark device. Solidly conservative on the high-end. Not all out, but very nice spec and current. Their goal is to showcase the software. To show what the Android Platform can do and encourage OEMs to use Google's platform on their hardware.

With Surface Tablet, Microsoft created hardware in-house that was designed to show what the form factor was capable of. It brought lots of new hardware innovation to the form factor and created a vehicle for the platform. In a lot of ways, Surface changed how tablets are viewed and moved them from being a means of enticing consumers to buy into the software and spend more on consuming Apps. Surface Tablet brought about a productivity oriented revolution to tablets that makes them fit into managing our resources rather than simply marking time with games and entertainment.

You see this duality getting mixed in more and more. Sure you can play games on Surface and get productive on the other platforms. But Surface really broke the Tablet Form Factor free of the smart phone model and pushed it out to being much less of a toy in the consumer mindset.

Hopefully, Surface Phone can bring something unique to open up the form factor to new perceptions in the market. I expect it will be a high level reference device. I also don't look for it to try and capture the space so much as help show OEMs a new way forward. I imagine Continuum as an opening salvo...