Andromedia....is it enough?

[Mark Kaplan]

This is my opinion and my opinion only. I'm excited about Andromeda. Yes yes I know. Microsoft could yet do it again. Get me all hyped up for a year or two and then move on to something else. I know all this yet I am excited anyway. Why? Because I MISS MY WINDOWS PHONE! I've been on Android for about a year now. Forced to move because I needed my sons Dexcom app which of course was not available on Windows. I have never missed an OS more than I miss W10M. Even when I was forced off Blackberry years ago did not compare to the hassle for me moving to Android from W10M. I'm a Microsoft guy. Everything I have is Microsoft. The missing piece in the ecosystem for me was mobile. W10M gave me that. The Cortana driving experience is unmatched in any other OS. THIS is why I'm excited about Andromeda. The return of W10M. I need it! Sure, I'm excited about the new hardware as well. Microsoft has had a vision of a single device for a long time. Moving towards a single powerful pocket foldable computer that also does telephony is the path they are on. I'm anxiously waiting for the first units to become available and I'll be there ready to move back. I'm just not a happy Android user and don't even get me started on iOS. What is everyone else's thoughts? Let's discuss. (Without bashing other opinions please)

 

[etphoto]

I too excited and hope MS success. However, even though I'm not a fan of Android I will stick with it a bit longer and have a wait and see attitude when it comes to MS's new mobile hardware.

Sent from mTalk

 

[Scienceguy Labs]

I just read this morning that Andromeda will be postponed and most likely cancelled.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/dont-expect-microsofts-andromeda-this-year-or-maybe-ever/

 

[ryanlrobinson]

After Microsoft themselves started saying we should go to Android or iOS, that sealed it for me. Just yesterday I pre-ordered a BlackBerry Key2 (I was BlackBerry before Windows 10 Mobile so it will be less painful than a lot of other Android options). If Microsoft is not even trying to make Andromeda be a replacement for your Android or iOS phone, I am not going to fool myself into trying to make it a replacement for an Android or iOS phone.

Yes, almost everything else in my life is Microsoft. The only Google service I use regularly is YouTube. I still theoretically would prefer to keep as much as reasonably possible in the Microsoft ecosystem. But it was time for me to admit defeat. I'll still load up the Key2 with all the Microsoft apps, though, so I can still avoid most Google services other than YouTube, Maps, and probably Assistant.

 

[StariKletar]

I never went away from Microsoft. I'm still rockin' my Lumia 950 DS. I just hope Andromeda works out fine so i can have something to look forward to. Because Android and iOS...nah. I'll rather pass...

 

[infosage]

"Andromedia....is it enough?" No, but it is required as a start. I believe they commit to the vision and Andromeda v1 will be the first necessary step. Some will use it, most will not, and it will have issues. However, if Microsoft (Nadella) commits to the strategy, they will have a great product by version 3. Just like Surface took a few versions, Andromeda will too. However, if they are too scared to release an imperfect version 1, then the whole thing is just a waste of time and money. Just the rumors that it may or may not release continues to erode any remaining confidence in Nadella's ability to innovate for the future.

 

[dsharp75]

here's the thing: Andromeda needs to be too much and has a reliance on too many things. Simply put, it has to be damn near perfect from the start and MS will not push it until its close enough.
It needs:

1. Minimum 4G LTE connectivity
2. Windows 10 Core OS
3. Always on, great power management that Qualcomm excels at
4. Best in class performance that Intel excels at
5. Inking support with pressure
6. 5G readiness (see Qualcomm modems)
7. Cloud services (MS always has this pretty well established)
8. Continuum (dock to monitor and keyboard/mouse to keep working)
9. Essential smart device sensors, Bluetooth, GPS, WIFI switching

Coupled with day or days long battery life and core windows bits working correctly, this is essential.
The so called app gap becomes less so when you combine x32/x64.UWP and PWA apps.
Of course, they could also emulate the Android app environment with a more modern BlueStacks. An integrated version that allowed access to the play store apps, but within Windows 10 would solve the app gap right there. Just wishful thinking....

 

[No1HoloLensFan]

From Microsoft or not, I just want this form factor device.
It can't save MS mobile just by this form factor. MS have to release state of the art OS and a very innovative yet simple to use UI/UX for this device.
This device is trying to be a tablet and smartphone at the same time. Anyone who buys it will be replacing his Smartphone or tablet with it. So the apps that this user is using on its Smartphone and tablet should be available on it Andromeda platform.
At the end it will be the app gap which will determine its fate in general consumer market.
On the other hand if MS makes it an enterprise offering alone, then MS can sell it to there Azure and 365 enterprise customers. That will make it enterprise expensive and a very very expensive offering for Andromeda fans.

 

[bjorndori]

It's totally dependent upon Google to support it

 

[Jason Rosenthal]

A lot of what I liked about Windows Phone 7.5 - 8.1 was already removed in Windows Mobile to make it more of an Android like UX. Now that I was forced by Microsoft to buy Google, it's unlikely I will go back. Microsoft really needs to innovate like they did with Windows Phone with this new ghost device. There is a small chance if it runs Android apps, more open to using other stores and allows me to run software I want to run. I'm still bitter about the removal of photosynth and others to the point where I don't trust the store or Microsoft's choices for me. Android has more open feel to it where I have the perception of control similar to what I like about Windows desktop.

Why does anyone think this device is a go? Microsoft did a paradigm shift back in 2014-15 to focus on Android and ios apps. The Nokia guys that could get this done were let go. The patents people are going off of are likely to get royalties from Samsung if they develop an Android device.

 

[wpcautobot]

I'm not excited yet way too far off now to be. Once announced, I'll be really excited.

 

[envio]

At this point, I'm stuck in no man's land, daring to dream. My L950 is my main phone - still. I go back to my L930 for photos because the camera was slightly better so I take it with me on holidays - still. I've not felt compelled to jump ship, I've never owned an Android or Iphone - still. Everything I need still works on WM10 so as long as it's working, I'm going to use it.

A part of me definitely wants in on the next big thing - Andromeda or whatever but I'm not sure I'll be able to afford it or justify it, being so bleeding edge. It's not going to be a device that competes with regular smartphones on price or apps, it'll take a big justification to jump in.

I don't want to rehash all the old arguments but this new thing will not be for everyone; it's not a smartphone but will have telephony. I just wonder if Microsoft will re-think and consider those that won't be able to afford this leap of faith into the future, what will those people use? Why can't we have a regular form factor, modern hardware, Windows smartphone as a bridge to the new shiny niche market that Microsoft will attempt to carve out with Andromeda?

Afterall, they've done exactly that with the Surface. They created the 2-in-1 device category and then, some years later, created a traditional Surface laptop anyway. It completes the family and gives people choices. I don't want my choice to end up being Android or the really expensive and niche Andromeda.

 

[neo_eastside]

Andromeda is a trojan to introduces next-generation ARM/WCOS Windows.

It is not a device strategy, but a bottom-up disruption strategy to legacy Win32/x86.

 

[Dusteater]

This is yet another Microsoft product that will go nowhere. Without any apps in the Microsoft Store, anything they do in mobile is doomed to fail. For example, I love the form factor of the new Surface Go, but without apps, it's not at all useful. I am now fully invested in mobile apps on my iPhone, and none of them will run on Windows 10. For everyone saying that it can run legacy Win32 apps, who cares? The world has moved on from that.

 

[xlmanInsider]

If that most beautiful and exclusive device, don't have Google suite, Twitch, games (all), Banks apps, money apps, etc, etc, and etc, etc.. Apps only a very exclusive customers will buy

 

[neilbey]

I don't think Andromeda is going to be a formal entry into the mobile phone market by MS. Apple and Google have too much of a strong hold there and IMO, I don't see this device from MS being able to compete with that. I do see Andromeda as MS trying to get a headstart on where the trend might be going with PCs.

You'll probably start seeing PCs and Mobile market starting to merge more and more in the future, with mobile devices (as we know them today) becoming more and more capable for PC-esque uses, and likewise with PCs (as we know them today) becoming more useful for mobile use-cases. I think the best way to go about this is to start from PC and work down to mobile (vs starting in mobile and working up to PC).

MS's best shot and remaining relevant in the mobile-market (again, as we know it today) is to continue with the push to have their services running on every platform equally, and not just their own platforms. They can bring this Andromeda device and OS out as a PC-oriented device (along with all the capabilities that a traditional PC can offer) whilst still having the basic functionality of what makes a phone, a phone (namely, texting and telephony capabilities). It'd be grabbing a potential market that may not have been served by the current crop of smartphones (those that don't want/need all the smartphone apps, but would still like capable device that can make calls/texts and also be a main computing device)

 

[xlmanInsider]

And Google never, but never will be. Well, right now the don't have any Windows 10 app. A Phone without YouTube app?? Are you trying to sell it to any under 50 years old?

 

[Hirox K]

I'm not a WinPhone user and I'm glad, this is not a WinPhone (it's a windows 10 PC), so I can do XPA-docking-on-a-gamepad-style on this thing.

As a programmer, make Windows 10 compatible with ARM is just like bring Windows to x64.
And investing ARM also benefits AR, MR and IOT so, there's no reason to drop ARM support.
PC (including S-mode and ARM), IOT, AR, MR, Xbox and Azure + AI api + ROME synergy is important to MS, and it opens a new door for programmers.

tbh, I find WinPhone to be a useless effort (and is why I went Android, 1st party Android). It's not a PC, it was late to the game with 0 user and dev base (cause it's not a PC) and as a programmer, I need to code & QA for another OS with a Windows name but is actually not a Windows. Why code for 2 OSes instead of 1?
If you include Android and iOS to the mix, why 4 OSes but not 3?

Battery + heats limits performance and no faster HW no better / more interesting applications. I think smartphones are at its limit.
As a programmer, I think PC (including S-mode and ARM), IOT, AR, MR, Xbox and Azure + AI api synergy is much more interesting in 2018.
* cross-device/machine is actually not something Apple's good at (they remove API faster than other OS providers) and they don't have network and gaming infrastructure.

 

[petrozio]

This.. And Cshell.

 

[GraniteStateColin]

I'm hopeful this can be the laptop I always have with me (I don't normally carry my laptop around everywhere, even though it's a convertible 2-in-1) and eliminate the need for a separate phone.