Is Nadella the main reason why Windows Phone is no longer the focus?

[mc_razza]

I remember them sponsoring several TV shows, including Hawaii 5-0, where characters spent a couple of seasons showing them off and "Binging" things and "sending to the SkyDrive".

NCIS: LA and House of Cards comes to mind. Even Quantum Break too (although it is a Microsoft game after all).

 

[anon(8171782)]

Nadella is playing it save, but he doesn't understand one thing, Microsoft didn't play it save to get where they are today, but he his trying to play save so he doesn't want to compete with any company in any department. just want Microsoft to create software and tools nothing more, just the familiar tools what everybody knows. he his afraid to take big steps and I don't blame him, the people responsible is Microsoft for putting someone like this in charge. He will go down the worst ever... he his creating nothing new just sticking to the old ways.

 

[Adventurer64]

MS didn't understand the game had changed after iPhone launch. Kind of like minivans, Ford and Chevy responded with scaled down versions of their rear drive cargo vans to compete with front drive car based caravan. MS missed the boat when it mattered. Everyone knows the app gap, but there was also carrier resistance to Windows Phone. I recall wanting to try Windows Phone 8 years ago, but there was no option on Sprint when I needed new phone.

 

[editguy]

Windows mobile should have been offered to OEM's for free. That's just what Google did with Android. It was short-sighted to continue to charge for it. There was no incentive for OEM's to develop Windows phones when they could do it with Android for free. That might not have made the difference, but it couldn't have hurt. MS didn't have the leadership that understood where the market was going and apparently even that there were other ways to monetize the OS without charging for it. I think there was enough hubris that they didn't take Apple or Google seriously.

 

[Timbre70]

Thought it's been free since...

 

[wpstan]

Microsoft has crossed the line on Windows Mobile..for a few years now, most of us Windows Mobile fans have been hanging on to the platform in the hopes that something new and exciting was on the way for us diehard fans...we kept waiting and hoping for that to emerge...but nothing ever came to the platform...now, the latest news is that Windows Mobile is Dead...nothing coming and support for the mobile OS will die soon...I have been on Windows Mobile for almost 7 years now...love the OS...I have also heard that Microsoft CEO Nuttella himself already has switched to Android...if this is not kicking all of us who have supported Windows Mobile in the face,,now I to have to move on...but for me personally, if Microsoft thinks I will continue to use their services. On Android, they better think twice...when I do switch, it will be all Android services i will be on...No Microsoft for nothing...Microsoft Mobile has let me down so why would I use anything to do with Microsoft anymore...in conclusion..sine Nuttella came and took over...its been all bad for Microsoft...RIP Microsoft Mobile..you were the greatest Mobile OS at one time. ...since Nuttella,you are now nothing...thanks for the memories

 

[techiez]

They still charge devs to put apps on their store, and JB wonders y dont devs embrace them.

 

[jmshub]

Satya Nadella seems to be taking Microsoft into a direction that pushes enterprise services over consumer goods and that doesn't bode well for the future of MS in Consumer services.

But, that isn't what caused the failure of Windows Phone and Mobile. That was ultimately a death by a thousand cuts. Since the first days of WP7, Microsoft had to fight with carrier support, handset manufacturers, app developers, public sentiment, just to get their phones into people's view in the first place. It would have been an extreme long shot if MS themselves was doing everything right. But the fact that many updates were hard stops that required new handsets, from 7 to 8, then 8 to 10. And with each version, it seemed to be more "beta", each version seemed to get buggier than before.

 

[dpz]

I feel like it is his fault but I don't have concrete facts to back up my conclusion(only a statement he's said that show he didn't think the world needed a third smartphone ecosystem) but as for would someone had done a better job...maybe. I say that because mobile is the future, everyone knows that. So I want to say that anyone else would've put Microsoft's entire might behind developing a mobile OS so good that it would entice developers to just switch gears and build apps for the heck of it. Plus they would've also put the entire surface division into creating the next coveted device. I think anyone else would've tried harder at growing in the smartphone market share. IMO.

 

[editguy]

Thought it's been free since...

Not until seven years after Android was introduced and four years after Win Mobile 7. By then the battle was lost to Android. I made no sense to charge for the OS when a strong competitor was offering theirs for free.

 

[DOGC_Kyle]

I really think this would've happened regardless of who was in charge. It has nothing to do with Nadella, consumer vs. enterprise, apps, or market share. Granted, those things would've kept it around longer, but not forever.

It's common knowledge that the ultimate goal for W10M (and all the previous Windows mobile OS versions) was for it to be eventually killed off and replaced by full Windows.

They're obviously behind schedule (given that ARM-based and WCOS are not ready yet), but this all seems according to plan.

 

[Guytronic]

I see no purpose in trying to blame Mr. Nadella for what has finally been admitted to.
I'm betting he was growing very tired of not informing the mobile crowd of the companies decision to abandon WM.

It's very hard to tell who's in charge at Microsoft (my guess is the largest shareholders) looks to me it's not any one person calling the shots.
Why be afraid of so few consumers who already knew what was in the cards.

It's dumb to sit and lose money instead of cutting losses and moving on.

 

[sd4f]

The thing is, there was some decent support with WP7 and WP8. Looking back, with all the reboots, I think that killed developer support, and it never regained its position.

The reboot to W10M in retrospect is what killed the platform (even though it was already coughing up blood, so to speak); flagship priced hardware, with not that flagship feel, really buggy OS, which was a complete turnaround from WP8.1, I think windows 8 on desktop also poisoned the well somewhat, and lastly, developer support just dropped off.

Going on the app store, some of the better games on there are still WP7 apps. While WP8/8.1 was undoubtedly the best phone os, it was completely pointless in terms of being made obsolete.

The relaunches were a mistake in my opinion, had they just tacked on new features to the OS, and made it relatively seamless for the users and developers, rather than whole new OS, then it would have been much better.

 

[DOGC_Kyle]

had they just tacked on new features to the OS, and made it relatively seamless for the users and developers, rather than whole new OS, then it would have been much better.

This would not have been sustainable at all.

It wouldn't have helped market share very much, even if you combine the market share of WP7/WP8/W10M, it was never very much.
And it would have been difficult to justify sustaining an entirely separate OS, whereas Windows 10 Mobile is close to Windows 10 in many ways. We're guaranteed app updates for W10M, every update for desktop also comes to mobile.

This would have also made it much more difficult to move forward. UWP, Continuum, and Cortana would've been far more complicated without the ties to desktop.

 

[Troy Tiscareno]

Nadella is playing it save, but he doesn't understand one thing, Microsoft didn't play it save to get where they are today, but he his trying to play save so he doesn't want to compete with any company in any department.

Nadella has nothing to do with it. He wasn't hired as CEO to save WinPhone just as Chen wasn't hired to save BB10. Both were hired, and in both cases the previous CEOs fired, because of their failed strategy with mobile, and because the Board of Directors of each company had thrown in the towel on mobile. CEOs don't get to make those decisions, BoDs do, and both Nadella and Chen are doing exactly what their Board hired them to do: save the COMPANY, not the Mobile division.

The Mobile Race occurred from 2007-2011. The person you have a problem with was the guy in charge during THAT time, not the guy in charge today.

 

[sd4f]

This would not have been sustainable at all.

It wouldn't have helped market share very much, even if you combine the market share of WP7/WP8/W10M, it was never very much.
And it would have been difficult to justify sustaining an entirely separate OS, whereas Windows 10 Mobile is close to Windows 10 in many ways. We're guaranteed app updates for W10M, every update for desktop also comes to mobile.

This would have also made it much more difficult to move forward. UWP, Continuum, and Cortana would've been far more complicated without the ties to desktop.

But the thing is, what have they moved forward to? It's over, the announcement has been made that they're basically wrapping it up, doing security maintenance and that's it.

All of that effort can only be seen in one of two ways; either a complete waste, or simply too little, too late.

The problem MS had with the WP7->WP8 reboot was that a lot of people were upset that their newish phones were made obsolete rather quickly. From a developing perspective, the apps they made for WP7, no point maintaining them, meanwhile, WP8 had to gain some momentum to justify apps for it.

This was identical with the W10M reboot except this time around, companies shut down their WP8 apps, and abandoned the platform completely.

 

[barotropic]

It was clear 2 years ago that Nadella was not going to support Windows Phone when he said, in corporate double-speak, that MS would make the phones if no one else would. If you read the complete details of that statement, he was clearly saying that things were winding down.

And this contrition he shows now, talking about possible mistakes and concern for jilted consumers, etc, is offered only to assuage anger among those devoted consumers who have stuck with MS for so many years.

Yes, WP was a bungled project, but only because the leadership was not committed to it.

 

[Player Piano]

Nadella has nothing to do with it. He wasn't hired as CEO to save WinPhone just as Chen wasn't hired to save BB10. Both were hired, and in both cases the previous CEOs fired, because of their failed strategy with mobile, and because the Board of Directors of each company had thrown in the towel on mobile. CEOs don't get to make those decisions, BoDs do, and both Nadella and Chen are doing exactly what their Board hired them to do: save the COMPANY, not the Mobile division.

The Mobile Race occurred from 2007-2011. The person you have a problem with was the guy in charge during THAT time, not the guy in charge today.

Finally someone who gets it. It all changed once ValueAct got a seat on the board.

 

[Auggybendoggy]

Yes, Nadella into ruined it. Even under Ballmer they pulled, I believe as much as 6%. Arguing that it was spiraling is like saying Apple should have closed shop when they were nearly under. YOU DONT GIVE UP. Keep pressing, keep fighting. It only takes some teenage rock star to say yea I use it. Point being anything can happen. And perseverance with your supporters is wisdom.

 

[anon(8171782)]

Companies are still buying the phone, is that not enough to get going? It was the best secure option for companies since android is not the best and ios is too expensive. But he doesn't care about that, he has it on his mind that it was a mistake Microsoft bought now and wanted to get rid of it so fast.