What is actually a Surface Phone? Mary Jo Foley believes ...

[houkoholic]

I think that marketing a device for enterprise rather than consumers is a bad idea nowadays. The days of carrying 2 phones, 1 work-issued and 1 personal, are pretty much over.

It is FAR from over, in fact it would NEVER be over.

BYOD doesn't actually precludes people who want separate devices for many very legitimate reasons - keeping work/private live separate for one is a HIGHLY desirable goal, especially as people become more and more aware of how communication technology is extremely intrusive of private lives in developed nations. Less and less people are wanting to be on-call 24/7 - which if you use one single device employers would implicitly demand that of you (employers demanding employees to instantly answer emails/IM on their phone even after hours is a real thing, why do you think the French is passing a law which makes employers doing that illegal?!). Also as security concerns increases - do you really want your employer having the ability to wipe YOUR phone which you happen to also use for both work/private? What's going to happen to my little baby/girlfriend/family photos? Am I signing away the right for the company to audit the contents of my phone as part of the employee/BYOD contract? What about forcing the company's GPO on your phone? etc etc Many people would say "f**k no!" to that in a heart beat. There are nuisances for carrying multiple devices, but most people are not willing to trade these just to carry one less device, especially the phones today are really poor at supporting multiple profiles.

There's also cost for the employer as well - IT maybe supporting "Android" BYOD but with the amount of fragmentation out there problems will arise alot in terms of compatibility.

BlackBerry hasn't had any success by concentrating on the enterprise market.

That's because BlackBerry isn't really doing things better than the competition - email and IM is no longer unique to BB.

 

[Jason Ward]

Hi folks...I wrote a piece last year (Nov 2015) "Will the rumored Surface Phone be a reimagined Surface Mini" where I posited how Pansy still uses his Mini as a Molesting or digital notepad. I posited that he's going to keep what's good about the Mini and put it in a form of a small Surface that sits at the lowest end of the Surface line - The Surface Book is a Laptop and Digital Clipboard, the Surface is a Tablet and Laptop and the Surface "Phone"(Which wont in my opinion be called a phone but a ultramobile PC with telephony) will function as a phone and Digital Notepad. The inking platform will really come to play here I believe. You can read a the piece here: Will Microsoft's rumored 'Surface Phone' be a re-imagined Surface Mini? | Windows Central

I actually also talked about it in a piece I wrote in January of 2015, Is a 7" Surface phone on the horizon?


Whatever it will be it most certainly won't be what we see as a phone today.

 

[anton267]

Surface phone in my opinion is the next generation mobile device, coming in 2-3 years when the technology will be mature. With the processing power of today's mid-to-high range laptops it will serve as the main computing and virtual reality device for individuals. It will be around 6 inches but will connect and fit into other "dummy" display devices and support extensions, e.g. plug into cars. Despite today's position in the mobile market, Microsoft is well positioned for this market.

 

[levy shikukui]

one request as per wish of many,lets have windows 10 roms which can run in all droid device,and someone will decide d the brand he loves and install windows 10.

 

[Ten Four]

BYOD doesn't actually precludes people who want separate devices for many very legitimate reasons - keeping work/private live separate for one is a HIGHLY desirable goal, especially as people become more and more aware of how communication technology is extremely intrusive of private lives in developed nations.

What people want and what they get are two different things. Here in the USA BYOD is the only way at most companies--the company figured out that this makes employees happy and keeps corporate costs lower. A thing to keep in mind is that in the USA businesses with less than 500 employees account for more than half of the jobs. These small businesses don't have the budget to supply workers with phones, and why should they bother when employees are happier using their own phones? Despite press about getting away from employment demands outside of work it is just getting worse and worse in the USA--the lowliest job now includes the expectation that you are on call via email and text 24/7.

 

[Grant Taylor3]

Why not have the best of both worlds and have both ARM and X86 in the same device.



When you want to use it as a phone you run the ARM processor and when you plug it into a doc you enable the X86 CPU and the full version of Windows 10.



You could have a dGPU option like the Surface Boot.



Dual Architecture systems with dual operating systems are not new. I used one over 30 years ago.



Apply this to a phone and it could be game changing.

Dual boot Windows 10 Mobile and Full Windows 10.

 

[Grant Taylor3]

You could even have a built in projector that could give you a holographic screen and keyboard.

 

[Grant Taylor3]

BYOD is fine but when companies lock the devices down BYOD becomes less appealing.

 

[cracgor]

I couldn't disagree more.
Enterprise is their strength, focus on your strength, win that part of the market first with a super slick, super secure must have "Surface Companion".
Then, just maybe, a portion of the consumer market may follow.

I use a work phone for personal and business, (supplied) one phone works a treat. Problem is, yesterday I asked I.T to add the work email account to my new 'Windows Phone' and the I.T consultant had never heard of a Windows Phone. How sad.

I had the same problem at my work where they would not enable the email server to recognize Windows Phone because it would be insecure. It doesn't matter if it is true when it negatively impacts the consumer.

The enterprise strength thing is fading fast too. The only reason that they have enterprise strength is because companies bought into Windows 3 decades ago. Most of those computers run Windows 7, probably because they upgraded from XP. My experience is most companies are BYOD. So I would say iPhone still dominates mobile enterprise.

 

[cracgor]

folks do not be surprised if Microsoft and others make monitors that are designed to work flawlessly with microsoft Windows 10 mobile smart phones with Continuum mode. these monitors will sense and be able to immediately sync with and pick up Windows 10 mobile smart phone that is Continuum mode and display the Windows 10 mobile smart phones screen in a resizable window. a person can the use the on screen keyboard or a blue tooth mouse and keyboard to navigate the screen and use apps.

Why not just buy a smart tv that can have your apps on the tv?

 

[Ten Four]

folks do not be surprised if Microsoft and others make monitors that are designed to work flawlessly with microsoft Windows 10 mobile smart phones with Continuum mode.

Sure, but what is the point when most businesses prefer having people chained to workstations for eight hours per day where they and their equipment are completely under corporate control? Continuum is a cool idea with limited practical uses. I was convinced a couple of decades ago that today's workforce would be working from home via the Internet, but remote workers never became popular for a basic human reason: managers want to be able to lord over their troops and act like they are in charge of their army of workers. This requires rooms full of people who periodically must troop into the manager's office and report so it looks like the manager is doing something. Out of sight out of mind. I have worked remotely a lot in my life and without fail you are constantly struggling to prove to your manager that you are actually working. No matter how productive you are they just don't believe it unless they see you slaving away in front of a hot work station.

 

[im.thatoneguy]

Microsoft has done two interesting things lately. 1) They've made it clear "continuum" is key to WM distinctiveness. 2) They've included "Messaging Anywhere" as part of continuum. If I could take calls through my PC and put my "phone" in the cloud then whatever device I'm near would be sufficient. What if Windows Mobile became a screenless device? As long as it was connected to the internet you could use any LTE device as your "phone" seamlessly. Then a small 7" device would be a perfectly reasonable thing to carry with you as a "Camera".

 

[ArtificiallyYours]

I'm hoping we could get five to six inch 'dummy touchscreen' monitors we could slot a Windows TV-Stick in sometime.

Probably makes no sense but, that's my (stupid) idea in a nutshell...

 

[vcarvega]

Who said it'll be called a Surface Phone? Mary Jo nailed it. It's a Surface Mobile device. Surface Mini form with high end specs and phone capability.

I think there would be less of a market for that device than an actual Windows phone... which is already pretty low. The best thing Microsoft could do is create an actual phone and begin marketing it with it's Surface Pro in commercials and online ads. The Surface Pro has a positive, "cool" connotation attached to it... much in the way of Apple during the 90's. That's something they can build off of.

 

[vcarvega]

Microsoft has done two interesting things lately. 1) They've made it clear "continuum" is key to WM distinctiveness. 2) They've included "Messaging Anywhere" as part of continuum. If I could take calls through my PC and put my "phone" in the cloud then whatever device I'm near would be sufficient. What if Windows Mobile became a screenless device? As long as it was connected to the internet you could use any LTE device as your "phone" seamlessly. Then a small 7" device would be a perfectly reasonable thing to carry with you as a "Camera".

I don't care what the tech is, a phone has to be able to fit in my pocket, period. I already have a Surface Pro 4 in my bag... making a mini one isn't really an attractive proposition for me, and definitely will not help Microsoft to replace my Nexus phone. Now, if they come up with an innovative way to make watches, or wearables in general, more productive... I could see that being a device that could replace a phone.

 

[Indistinguishable]

I think there would be less of a market for that device than an actual Windows phone... which is already pretty low. The best thing Microsoft could do is create an actual phone and begin marketing it with it's Surface Pro in commercials and online ads. The Surface Pro has a positive, "cool" connotation attached to it... much in the way of Apple during the 90's. That's something they can build off of.

I don't care what the tech is, a phone has to be able to fit in my pocket, period. I already have a Surface Pro 4 in my bag... making a mini one isn't really an attractive proposition for me, and definitely will not help Microsoft to replace my Nexus phone. Now, if they come up with an innovative way to make watches, or wearables in general, more productive... I could see that being a device that could replace a phone.

Well it sounds like you're not Microsoft's new target market. They're going for businesses and business minded people. The days of trying to appeal to the common consumer with a mobile device from Microsoft's hardware division are over.

 

[wpfan86]

Well it sounds like you're not Microsoft's new target market. They're going for businesses and business minded people. The days of trying to appeal to the common consumer with a mobile device from Microsoft's hardware division are over.

How does a mobile device that doesn't fit in your pocket appeal to ANY target market, especially enterprise users in terms of needs that aren't already met with other devices? Enterprise users are currently carrying around a phone and a laptop. How does Microsoft releasing a 7 or 8-inch device appeal to them? If it doesn't fit into their pocket, then it doesn't replace their phone, and if it doesn't replace their phone then they are still stuck carrying around two devices (their phone and their Surface mobile device). Laptops, Ultrabooks, and Tablets/2-in-ones already fill the "portable devices that are also productive but aren't a phone" need. A Surface device that fails to fit in a pocket (and therefore fails to be useful as a phone) meets no needs that the Surface and Surface Pro products don't already fulfill.

 

[Johnny Tremaine]

Hi folks...I wrote a piece last year (Nov 2015) "Will the rumored Surface Phone be a reimagined Surface Mini" where I posited how Pansy still uses his Mini as a Molesting or digital notepad. I posited that he's going to keep what's good about the Mini and put it in a form of a small Surface that sits at the lowest end of the Surface line - The Surface Book is a Laptop and Digital Clipboard, the Surface is a Tablet and Laptop and the Surface "Phone"(Which wont in my opinion be called a phone but a ultramobile PC with telephony) will function as a phone and Digital Notepad. The inking platform will really come to play here I believe. You can read a the piece here: Will Microsoft's rumored 'Surface Phone' be a re-imagined Surface Mini? | Windows Central

I actually also talked about it in a piece I wrote in January of 2015, Is a 7" Surface phone on the horizon?

Both Jason's comment and the hints of what Mary Jo's been hearing, I have a strong feeling that a 'Surface Phone' won't have a pocketable phone form factor. I suspect it'll be a mini tablet that also happens to make phone calls, and it won't be something that can you get from your neighborhood carrier store.
i.e. this is going to be a very niche device, if it does see a release.

 

[theefman]

How does a mobile device that doesn't fit in your pocket appeal to ANY target market, especially enterprise users in terms of needs that aren't already met with other devices? Enterprise users are currently carrying around a phone and a laptop. How does Microsoft releasing a 7 or 8-inch device appeal to them? If it doesn't fit into their pocket, then it doesn't replace their phone, and if it doesn't replace their phone then they are still stuck carrying around two devices (their phone and their Surface mobile device). Laptops, Ultrabooks, and Tablets/2-in-ones already fill the "portable devices that are also productive but aren't a phone" need. A Surface device that fails to fit in a pocket (and therefore fails to be useful as a phone) meets no needs that the Surface and Surface Pro products don't already fulfill.

Well said. A Surface Phone that isn't a phone literally means you still have to carry your phone, then whatever this magical device will be then all the paraphernalia you will need to make the magic device be something useful. Sounds like a best seller, especially since it also has the uber magical "Surface" label....

 

[Gregory Newman]

A lot of people put down Windows 10 mobiles Continuum function but one great reason to have it is putting your smart phones screen on a larger screen to edit and change or add things on your smart phone with a mouse and keyboard rather than using you small *** fingers on smart phones screens. I do not play games on a smart phone because the screen is to small to me.
an 8 inch smart phone tablet hybrid is a better device to do that on.