Windows Phone rebrand: "Surface OS"

[Zachary Boddy]

I've been working in marketing for many years. At this point I can assure all of you that "Windows Phone" as a brand has been severely compromised in the last few days aka "its dead" (the brand).

Microsoft has to come up with something different for the new Surface Phone. They can't just say it has "Windows Phone", because the name/brand is "dead".

So Microsoft needs a fresh start. Let's call it "The new Surface OS", a lite version of Windows 10, made for mobile phones, with support for both ARM and x86, runs full desktop apps when conected to a dock, runs UWP apps when in mobile mode.

The future is Surface OS and it really sounds much better.

Mmm...no.

 

[xandros9]

Re: Windows Phone rebrand: "Surface OS"

A reboot and a rename is the last thing this platform needs. We can't say it's the brand because right now, it's quality is the major issue regardless of its public image.

Also Surface OS sounds worse than Windows IMHO in that it's specific and throws out any continuity. it's like Apple going back to iPhone OS.

 

[constantreader16]

We'll let's get things straight. Windows Phone as an OS is dead. The brand is dead. Windows Mobile is what we have now.

The only way a phone with a a full computer OS on it would become popular is if it is first released in emerging markets at a price point they can afford. It would be this ability that would catapult Windows Mobile in those markets. However, in our markets the idea of having a full computer OS on a phone is niche. Not many people will go out of their way to use it. It would come in 'handy' from time to time but that's it. Unless it has the same level of capabilities as a laptop it won't attract sales people or people in enterprise markets.

I don't see phones replacing computers in offices any time soon either as security is very important to IT professionals.

For some a full OS on a phone will be fantastic for them but the vast majority don't care and don't need it.

You could make an argument that the Surface as a tablet and a full computer was supposed to only appeal to a "niche" market, but look at how well that's done. It's transformed the market so much that both Google and Apple have made their own attempts at it. The MSFT strategy isn't to win the current game, it's to redefine the game, something the Surface has done really well.

 

[svknet]

I suggest MS should give W10M atleast 12 months (after officially released to old handsets) to see market share and reaction. In this 12 months MS should also flood markets with handsets of it own brands as well as from other OEMs (cheap cost).
If still W10M market share remains low, then declare its dead, and move out of mobile OS business.

 

[Mikeandhis8x]

I'm amazed at how nobody understands msfts mobile strategy. Clearly they are killing windows phone in exchange for Windows 10 as a universal OS for everything, including mobile. Surface OS just separates the ecosystem. You may work in marketing but you're no business man.

 

[Delta Concepts]

The new Windows 10 Mobile is supposed to be Windows 10 (only) because of that. Surface OS would not be a smart choice because of the other surface products, they would have to have Surface OS (and compete against Windows) or it would be strange Surface products without Surface OS...

 

[Squachy]

Surface os makes no sense cuz surface is a hardware product line running windows 10. Surface phone would make it part of the surface line running win 10m. I think where they are still screwing up is that win10 and win10m. Are treated as separate entities instead of one. Just like win8 and rt. They're really only the same in name only.

 

[Elisamuel Figueroa]

I agree that they need to change the Lumia brand. Nokia is planning to come back to the smartphone game, so people may buy a new Nokia phone thinking is a windows phone or Lumia. Also all the people I know when I say have a windows phone looks at me like "Are they still making those?" So a new OS name is what they need as a disguise, people knows the surface runs windows, "surface phone" is not a bad idea as the new name for windows phone or W10M. Like the iPhone and iPad both run iOS but different versions, Imagine if all windows developers update their apps to Universal, it will be pretty much how things are on iOS. I believe that's MS new strategy with UWP and W10.