Wondering if Microsoft will follow Google's new idea

[Todd Robinson]

One of the draw backs of owning a Microsoft phone from my brief time using one, is the carriers. I was originally greeted with disdain for the windows phone at local carriers and it has now translated to delayed updates to Denim and the OS itself. Also the phone selection varies widely among the different carrriers. Always delayed and neglected by wireless phone providers, why doesn't Microsoft follow Google's new strategy of using high altitude balloons and have their own wireless network. That way they wouldn't have to use carriers and bring their products directly to the consumer, whether it be software or hardware. Not sure the viability of it, but Google maintains it works and is low cost compared to maintaining or acquiring land for cell towers. Thoughts?

 

[ven07]

Buy a phone outright and skip the carriers

 

[Legoboyii]

Would be interesting for sure if they get the right plans at the right price points. Would make for a pure "Nexus" type of line. Buying and paying direct with only Microsoft. Updates come as quickly as they are official, no long waiting periods. Would make loads of people happy

Right now I've got my AT&T unlocked Lumia 635 with TMo's 'secret' 30$ monthly prepaid plan. Which works perfect for me.

 

[Todd Robinson]

Buy a phone outright and skip the carriers

Can't do that right now with certain models ie lumia 1520 is only on AT&T networks and lumia Icon only on Verizon networks and lumia 930 not available in the states. You can't buy those models unless you have their network and then you have to wait for the updates or use a developer preview (not ideal situation).

 

[ven07]

True, there are drawbacks with my suggestion..

I do tell people to be careful when signing up for dev preview, but so far the updates that have been pushed aren't bricking devices, so at this point it's not really a gamble anymore..

I wonder how long dev preview will still be available, now that we have w10 tech prev (slow and fast) (sorry, this was off topic lol)

 

[spideymaniac]

I was wondering for a while, why does the system in (afaik) US and Europe typically make phone bundled with carrier? What particular reason? I mean, why do you release locked and unlocked version? People gonna choose their own carrier eventually..

Is it because subsidized price?

Here in Indonesia we are free to choose any carrier we wish, that's because phones here are indeed unlocked version, but also they have unlocked price..

 

[ven07]

Bundled packages are profitable for the company and at the same time they are tying you down to their own brand, which gives them a better view of how many customers there are and future profits

Edit: Mi thinks that some people, when their contract has ended, won't even bother to switch carriers, but they will extend it again. Just to skip all the hassles surrounding it, but most consumers are more aware nowadays

 

[Christopher Kendalls]

I'm not really crazy about Google's idea. Right now we do not have any data on the environmental affects of keeping balloons in the atmosphere on a continual basis for me to be for or against the idea. We probably won't know until we try it and find out later on down the line. Personally I don't trust the whole "internet everywhere" initiative Google and Facebook are on. It feels like a backhanded attempt at creating your own telecommunications company.

I would rather Microsoft continue to do what they do well, than become a jack of all trades like Google. If it were me I would invest in the idea, but let another company do it.

No one is forcing anyone to purchase a subsidized Windows Phone. Just buy a phone unlocked. Given the state of the platform, its stupid to pay a few hundred, not just Windows Phone but any smartphone. None of these smartphones, Windows Phone, Android, and iOS, are worth the money IMHO. Its not the hardware. It is continual changes in software that occur every few months. Until there is real, quantifiable differentiation between phones and their hardware who cares if your favorite phone is on your favorite carrier. Especially on Windows Phone, where a $100 phone will suffice for 99% of the customers. I'll take the subsidized phone, unlock it after 6 months, or root (if on Android or iOS). Just silly to pay the full price for a phone whose real purpose is as an ATM for developers, OEMs, ad networks and salesman. This is what phones have become, thanks to the Internet. Computers too but smartphones have taken it to a whole different level. If you're going to mine for data why do I have to look at a bunch of ugly balloons in the sky so you can provide data to third world countries and third world rural communities in America?

 

[Guytronic]

Google maintains it works and is low cost compared to maintaining or acquiring land for cell towers.

The balloon idea has been around for quite sometime.
The British military and US Navy has used radar platforms suspended by balloons.
As one who has actually worked on this equipment in the past all I know is they're an impedance to air traffic among other pitfalls.
These things have to be un-deployed in heavy unstable weather conditions also.

Most high points already have radio and television equipment in the best places for coverage.
Installing wide area cell radio would be no real problem now days.

 

[Jorge Holguin]

Can't do that right now with certain models ie lumia 1520 is only on AT&T networks and lumia Icon only on Verizon networks and lumia 930 not available in the states. You can't buy those models unless you have their network and then you have to wait for the updates or use a developer preview (not ideal situation).

You can purchase any of those online [unlock]

 

[jlzimmerman]

MS needs to focus on the one thousand commitments they current have and ensure they do them well. It can easily be argued that they are already spread out too thin, and their half-assed results with many of their products has shown that. They have gotten better over the past two years or so because they have gone back to their roots as being an agnostic software company FIRST.

You'll see over the next few years that as google spreads themselves out that they'll get sloppy and make the same mistakes MS started in the 90's.

If anything, I would much rather see them continue to focus on the auto In-Dash software tech, which is BB's QNX being used in the near future by Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Of course, they had that opportunity with Ford's MyTouch which they botched to this point......which goes back to my second sentence. They supposedly will be built on the QNX starting sometime next year.

 

[TechFreak1]

One of the draw backs of owning a Microsoft phone from my brief time using one, is the carriers. I was originally greeted with disdain for the windows phone at local carriers and it has now translated to delayed updates to Denim and the OS itself. Also the phone selection varies widely among the different carrriers. Always delayed and neglected by wireless phone providers, why doesn't Microsoft follow Google's new strategy of using high altitude balloons and have their own wireless network. That way they wouldn't have to use carriers and bring their products directly to the consumer, whether it be software or hardware. Not sure the viability of it, but Google maintains it works and is low cost compared to maintaining or acquiring land for cell towers. Thoughts?

Well, that is nice and all, the biggest flaw with that implementation is if it is hit by massive storm... you will either end up with no coverage for that area or rather spotty at best (unless they have fail safes in place and that means partnerships with the carriers / fixed line operators).

Besides I wouldn't want Google as my carrier... lol.

Anyway I highly doubt MS will want to go down that route, if any thing they could probably affix masts to their stores however that opens up another can of worms. Never the less before they can do anything they will need to acquire spectrum either via partnerships or bidding at the auctions.

 

[Visa Declined]

These things have to be un-deployed in heavy unstable weather conditions also.

They fly in the atmosphere, over the clouds, at around 12 miles high. How exactly does bad weather affect them? If they had to be brought back to earth whenever weather became unstable, do you think they would actually bother with all this?

 

[SamJHannan]

Maybe I'm wrong, but aren't the two ideas separate? The idea of setting up a mobile network and using balloons. I thought they would piggyback another providers network, and the balloons are for bringing internet to places without it?

 

[Ian Too]

I can see two problems with this idea:

The first is having Google as your carrier means having everything data mined. This company is already far too invasive as it is.

Another problem is the helium supply. Helium is already a shrinking resource (see below) in high demand, among other things for cooling the magnets in MRI scanners. Also, to fly high enough to avoid the vagaries of weather, they will have to use a lot of it. We have to ask ourselves whether this is good use of a shrinking resource? Of course, we probably shouldn't be using it in party balloons either.

As anyone who has read my previous posts here knows, my standing advice is avoid using Google devices and services whenever possible.

Helium stocks run low ? and party balloons are to blame | Science | The Guardian

 

[Wasim Wes Adetunji]

There is no way to convince them to. It's really dependent upon the Windows tablet space to help with that, it has to do well. In order for Windows Phone & Windows PC's to reap the benefits of universal apps --- basically Windows Phones aren't going to attract many new users, and increased users with Windows PC's won't attract Dev's, it's got to be the tablet space that wins. Microsoft and it's OEM's really have to push the envelope with the "One device" ideology and offer MORE than what iOS and Android currently offers, and they need to showcase that with Windows 10 and innovative hardware designs. OEM's, Intel & Microsoft all need each other more than ever. It would really be beneficial to launch a x64 phablet + accessories to really kind of get the ball rolling on the "possibilities" front.

Good things so far...

• Streaming games from XBOX, but I'm betting we won't see that until 2016 at the earliest.
• Cortana on the deskop, phone & tablet.
• The new Spartan browser

Agreed! Having a Windows tablet is definitely how you get hooked on Windows apps, and the design philosophy behind it. And you're right how much accessories make the difference. They should make sure Windows continues to be compatible with the widest range of devices, focusing on things Windows does best: Handwriting recognition, voice control, peripheral input (Bluetooth keyboards, mice)

 

[AndyCalling]

I can see two problems with this idea:

The first is having Google as your carrier means having everything data mined. This company is already far too invasive as it is.

Another problem is the helium supply. Helium is already a shrinking resource (see below) in high demand, among other things for cooling the magnets in MRI scanners. Also, to fly high enough to avoid the vagaries of weather, they will have to use a lot of it. We have to ask ourselves whether this is good use of a shrinking resource? Of course, we probably shouldn't be using it in party balloons either.

As anyone who has read my previous posts here knows, my standing advice is avoid using Google devices and services whenever possible.

Helium stocks run low ? and party balloons are to blame | Science | The Guardian

No need for helium. Hydrogen would be fine. These are not passenger craft.