WP's Future: Hopeful or Bleak

[koolnaija]

Personal reasons why I am considering an iPhone now for my new phone.

​To set the proper tone here is my device history: T-Mobile Shadow, HTC Touch Viva, HTC Touch 3G, HTC Touch Pro 2, HTC HD7, Dell Venue pro, Lumia 521, Lumia 925, Lumia 635.I have also attempted using the Nexus 4, which I was still left with a lackluster feeling of the disorganized Android OS and the main reasons for my choices are the user experience and hardware. Now the WP OS user experience I have no issues with, on the hardware side of the equation, Microsoft has essentially failed maximizing the availability of the best hardware to all their customers by offering these so call "exclusives" to specific providers which has started since they revamped the Windows Phone OS. Now they have made some strides in trying to provide the phones in different tiers Low, Mid and High. This allows different markets to enjoy most if not all features of the OS. Now for those of us who have picked specific providers based on proper research instead of bouncing around. Apple, HTC and Samsung have been able to provide almost every provider their High & Mid tier phones and exclusives would be a specialty version of these devices. If Microsoft keeps up this strategy, most people will never have a reason to look forward to the next device or the next level of the WP OS. Apple has steadily built that following by making mistakes but those mistakes have still kept almost their entire fan base loyal. Samsung decided to use a shortcut getting there and building their fan base. Microsoft wants the WP OS to spread but the hardware methods are steady but restricted only to some people instead of everyone. A good example has been the Surface tablet range , improvements and expanding, The original Surface Pro, good first attempt, Surface Pro 2 improved on the original and Surface Pro 3 is learning from past improvements & mistakes and making it a damn good device. I know with the tablet, Microsoft had control from start to finish and I'm sure then have some say on these exclusives between providers and manufacturers.

To outline my complaint about exclusives
Lumia 1020 - AT&T
Lumia 920 - AT&T
Lumia 930 - Verizon (Icon)
Lumia 1320- Cricket wireless
Lumia 1520 - AT&T
HTC ONE - Verizon (initially)
Samsung ATIV S - Never made it to carriers in USA
Samsung ATIV SE - Verizon
Samsung ATIV Neo & Odyssey - AT&T & Verizon
Samsung Focus & Focus 2 - AT&T
HTC Titan & Titan 2 - AT&T


There is no reason I have to chose a specific provider to get the phone I want. The iPhone initially started down that route and figured out it was in their best interests to make it available to all consumers.
Samsung, HTC, Blackberry all made sure that their best products were available to as many of their customers as possible. Microsoft is not doing so with these manufacturers . As disappointed as I am at this time, I do have patience and hope that something down the road will make this an excellent experience for all but that flicker for the iPhone is still back there.


Update 10/11/14: Well i decided to go back to a Lumia 925 i found on eBay, I guess i'm not done with WP or Windows in general for mobile devices. Microsoft don't fail us now.

 

[stevemind]

Good post.....But my opinion is how patient is everyone with Microsoft? I mean they have some amazing phones(thanks to Nokia). But their **** at selling them! Apple have **** phones, but amazing at selling them.

 

[Aleksandar Andreev]

Good post.....But my opinion is how patient is everyone with Microsoft? I mean they have some amazing phones(thanks to Nokia). But their **** at selling them! Apple have **** phones, but amazing at selling them.

I have to disagree,Apple`s phones are great phones,but a little more expensive then they should be,koolnaija good post,sorry to see that in the US there are those restriction where I live all of the carriers are offering Microsoft`s top phones,and I think in Europe in general we don`t have that problem,maybe you can look for factory unlocked phones then you won`t have that problem.

 

[iamtim]

There is no reason I have to chose a specific provider to get the phone I want.

Other than that being the standard operating procedure for carriers in the US? You're on T-Mobile, so you should know that's the way it works. I'm not commenting on whether that's "right" or not, but that is the way it is.

To answer the question in your posts subject line, I very much want to say that it's hopeful, but I lean more and more towards bleak. I think it will always be bleak in the US, but outside of the US I think WP has a chance if MS jumps on it. But things like updates not being available to everyone 2 months after they're released? They got to get on that...

 

[anon6002755]

I would like to say hopeful but im leaning toward bleak for us here in the U.S. it will end up being a test of how long consumers will support the platform before the whole experience is on par with the other platforms. The hardware is there just the ecosystem has not matured to a point where it can replace either of the two platforms completely. Just my opinion though.
Sent from my...

 

[rodan01]

I think exclusives have low impact in sales. Even in the US most of the WP sales are low end devices.
The real threat for WP is Moto G/E and Android One, this could be the last nail in WP's coffin.

In one month we'll know the shipment numbers of WP for Q3, and the picture will be clearer. If sales aren't well above 10m I think WP could be dead as we know it and Microsoft will have to design a new niche product to survive in mobile.

 

[luxnws]

People in the U.S. are already satisfied with their Apple and Android smartphones so is it realistic to think that WP can grow to double digits in market share in the U.S.?

WP's niche is in international markets where Apple can't get as huge share because iPhones are too expensive in emerging markets except for the very wealthy. WP will still have to compete with Android. MS has to hope they can get critical mass in international to keep WP going until Android or Apple makes a mistake or people's tastes change completely.

 

[Harry Wild]

Me too! Iphone 5S Space Grey 64GB!

 

[osallent]

Considering the videos popping up on Youtube of people bending their Iphone 6 by hand with little pressure, and the 6+ bending if you make the mistake of putting it in your pocket, I think WP's future just got a little better. Every news site is exploding with the Iphone bend story. Not that I care much, because I am committed to WP. I love the way the OS looks, I like the fluidity of the OS, and I hated the Android personal information mining when I was an Android owner. Unless Blackberry pulls a miracle recovery (not likely) I think I will be using the WP OS for a good long time.

 

[iamtim]

Every news site is exploding with the Iphone bend story.

The same way that every news site covered the iPhone 4 antenna issues?

 

[tgp]

Every news site is exploding with the Iphone bend story.

Apple will come out of this one on top. Somehow. Remember, there's no such thing as bad publicity.

 

[SimpleCartoon]

I am thinking there are some good days ahead.

In the past US wireless industry is bound to contractual agreements. Everyone buys an iphone or an galaxy since they are only 200$ after contract.
Since wireless companies moving away from contracts there will be lot of consumers who don't want to spend 700$ on phones. Alternatives will be Androids or Lumias. At the beginning consumers may move towards android but we know that after 6 months android phones suck and consumers may come back to windows phones.

This may not happen immediately but it will in next few years. I see windows phone will be gaining market soon. likes of lumia 630,730 and 830 will dominate market.

 

[luxnws]

Apple will come out of this one on top. Somehow. Remember, there's no such thing as bad publicity.

Looks like pretty bad publicity but Apple often finds ways to turn lumps of coal into diamonds. Maybe Apple will replace the aluminum frame with a titanium frame and sell an iPhone 6 Titanium edition for $1,000 in the future. I for one would not be surprised.

 

[prasath1234]

One way or other wp is to stay in low or mid end unless android becomes smooth in low or mid end.heck google even removed apps to SD card in kitkat.but we wp user got it in wp 8.1.although you need higher SD card for performance.This is one of the advantage of wp in low to mid end.wp needs a great battery life phone in size of 5 inch not 6 inch.Then many will consider wp as a option.
From Windows phone

 

[smoledman]

Honestly I don't think the exclusives are what's hurting. It's the fact that the iPhone 6/5S, Galaxy S5, Galaxy Note 4, HTC One M8, LG G3, Moto X exist. They are wonderful choices for any consumer and they're all available across the world with the platforms(iOS and Android) that have ALL the apps you want RIGHT NOW.

 

[anon6002755]

(iOS and Android) that have ALL the apps you want RIGHT NOW.

And to add to that list of apps will be better development for Here Maps. One of the few I know I would miss when I switched back.

 

[fdalbor]

I think this could be more of a problem. But then it depends how Apple people respond to it. What others think really does not matter.

 

[matty032]

Every time a new iPhone comes out, these "windows phone will die" posts show up. Now I don't think the world will wise up, and WP will take it over. But, I expect them to slowly creep up. And they are not gonna die because another iPhone came out.
Sent from windows.

 

[SAM 77]

People in the U.S. are already satisfied with their Apple and Android smartphones so is it realistic to think that WP can grow to double digits in market share in the U.S.?

WP's niche is in international markets where Apple can't get as huge share because iPhones are too expensive in emerging markets except for the very wealthy. WP will still have to compete with Android. MS has to hope they can get critical mass in international to keep WP going until Android or Apple makes a mistake or people's tastes change completely.

Thats about sums it up.

WP is stagnating.
When Android/Apple people hear about WP they be like wtf Blackberry.

Seriously more people in my country have heard/know about Blackberry than they do about WP.
With the carriers here in Oz taking a half *** approach at supporting the platform. WP will be lucky to break 10% here by the end of 2015.

Blackberry sponsor Mercedes F1. Even with dead market share they still manage to get their name out 1 billion times better than WP.
Formula 1 made an app for Blackberry before it did WP last year.
This year there is only an app for Apple and Android.

 

[snowmutt]

Actually, I think we are missing the forest for the trees here.

Everyone is down on MS for not selling better here in the US, for low end devices being the best sellers, and carrier exclusives. But that is responding to the desire we have for WP to be better, not truly looking at the market here in the US for what it is:

-There is almost no feature phone users to convert anymore. This is the advantage Android and the iPhone had that Windows Mobile toatally missed on: The smartphone explosion. There was no real advantage to feature phones over smartphones, so Google and Apple developed consumer-first devices that feature phone users fled to in droves. So, without that market to build on, how does MS get WP's into peoples hands?

-Small providers and the low end market are the new "in". More and more, the pay-as-you go model is growing. It hasn't hurt AT&T and Verizon, but they each have their own version. By putting low end WP devices into this segment, it is JUST AS VITAL IN THE U.S. AS GETTING THEM INTO THE DEVELOPING MARKETS ACROSS THE WORLD. Providing this segment with top performance in a inexpensive package will get millions of WP's into the hands of people who, hopefully, become loyal to it.

-Getting professionals to try the WP's along with Windows 9. This is why Steve Ballmer started pushing for unified OS's over 2 years ago. It is vital to see mobile in this light. Totally wide open market as BlackBerry moves away from hardware sales.

-Getting XBOX services right. Again, this "one OS' vision opens so many doors. Gamers, music lovers, video streaming. These are why larger screened, larger speaker devices are the rage. If MS can get these services right, the market for WP grows naturally from them.

Everytime I see one of these threads, I feel the need to remind everyone: MS is not the rabbit, they are the turtle. They do not need WP to be #1 next year, they need slow and profit driven growth. They did not fail at Bing, they did not fail at the XBOX, they will not fail at mobile. It is too important to the survival of the company. Yes, providing Android and iOS with MS services provides them with major streams of cash. But their own OS? Priceless.

Hopeful. The future is hopeful. It is just much slower developing then it was 4 years ago.