Flagship Phone for Windows 10

a5cent

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I agree that the specs are boring too in the sense that everyone else has that. But something "revolutionary" isn't going to do it either. The 920 had a lot of new features, and although it did generate some buzz in the tech community it failed to win over any significant number of iOS and Android users.

The 920 had some new features, but nothing revolutionary. A revolutionary feature refers to something that allows us to do something entirely new that we previously couldn't!

The 920 had a great camera for its time, but everyone could already take pictures. It just gave you better pictures, particularly in low light. The 920 had wireless charging, but everyone could already charge their devices. It just gave you another way of doing what you already could. There was nothing revolutionary about either of those often highlighted features, yet those incremental innovations made the 920 the most popular WP flagship of all time.

Bring something truly revolutionary, and we'd definitely see that make a difference.

What will make absolutely no difference is attempting to sell devices by "pushing" specs, as advocated for here. Keeping up with the Jones' is important, as it gives people who already like WP (us) a viable upgrade option, but it's basically just treading water. It will do absolutely nothing to get Android/iOS users to switch, and since all OEMs have access to the same components, there is no way for WP to pull ahead using that strategy.
 

astondg

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Lumia 1030
- Qualcom 810 CPU
- 4 GB of Ram
- 64 GB and 128GB storage options.
- 40MP 1" Pureview Camera sensor
- 6 element glass lens.
- Weather proof body
- Single color (Black)
- Camera grip/battery extender attachmemt available in multiple colors.
- Wireless charging built-in
- 1080p 4.7" screen
- At least a 3600 mAH battery
- USB 3.1 type-c connector
- Fingerprint sensor ala TouchID.
- *Dream option* Adobe Lightroom for W10

Oh man, if it has a 4.5-4.7" screen then I will over the moon. Sadly I think I'll be disappointed but it doesn't stop me from dreaming.
 

TechFreak1

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The 920 had some new features, but nothing revolutionary. A revolutionary feature refers to something that allows us to do something entirely new that we previously couldn't!

The 920 had a great camera for its time, but everyone could already take pictures. It just gave you better pictures, particularly in low light. The 920 had wireless charging, but everyone could already charge their devices. It just gave you another way of doing what you already could. There was nothing revolutionary about either of those often highlighted features, yet those incremental innovations made the 920 the most popular WP flagship of all time.

Bring something truly revolutionary, and we'd definitely see that make a difference.

What will make absolutely no difference is attempting to sell devices by "pushing" specs, as advocated for here. Keeping up with the Jones' is important, as it gives people who already like WP (us) a viable upgrade option, but it's basically just treading water. It will do absolutely nothing to get Android/iOS users to switch, and since all OEMs have access to the same components, there is no way for WP to pull ahead using that strategy.
I agree with what a5cent said, Microsoft can no longer rely on specs to sell as it would be no different from the many competitor smart phones in 2015. Sure it would being the flagship on par to said devices but it wouldn't be a compelling argument for a purchase.

To sell a product in a crowded market it must have a unique and compelling features. Furthermore You cannot compare the laptop / desktop pc market or automobiles to smartphones. They are specialised for certain tasks, whereas with phones they have become personal items so intertwined with our lives that we cannot live without them.

Lastly the Qi wireless charging coil is not that bulky! You can have a slim phone and have wireless charging built-in, case in point the 930.

Not to mmention to omission of mSD in a flagship will be a deal killer for some; it must offer no compromise, have unique selling points that put it above the rest.

tldr;
They (MS) can not solely rely on the UX, Cortana and the connected ecosystem to win mind share.
 

theefman

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I agree with what a5cent said, Microsoft can no longer rely on specs to sell as it would be no different from the many competitor smart phones in 2015. Sure it would being the flagship on par to said devices but it wouldn't be a compelling argument for a purchase.

To sell a product in a crowded market it must have a unique and compelling features. Furthermore You cannot compare the laptop / desktop pc market or automobiles to smartphones. They are specialised for certain tasks, whereas with phones they have become personal items so intertwined with our lives that we cannot live without them.

Lastly the Qi wireless charging coil is not that bulky! You can have a slim phone and have wireless charging built-in, case in point the 930.

Not to mmention to omission of mSD in a flagship will be a deal killer for some; it must offer no compromise, have unique selling points that put it above the rest.

tldr;

They (MS) can not solely rely on the UX, Cortana and the connected ecosystem to win mind share.



Unfortunately, with Windows 10 it seems this is exactly the way they are going (Cortana and universal apps as the main differentiators) and with the ferocious removal of everything that made WP unique in favor of a more android like look and no sign of any game changing feature I don't see them winning any mind or market share anytime soon.
 
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Jazmac

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From the desk of the Devils Advocate: All this sounds great for Windows flagship but there is NO WAY MS and its current market position is interested in investing these kinds of research dollars in a "flagship" that maybe 10 out of a thousand WP owners will plunk down the money for. A phone like the OP is talking about will probably price in the 800-1000 range and most of those writing up these specs will be the first ones to scream how crazy MS is. Then comes the comparison to Samsung and Apple for their offerings, thus making it easier for spec chasers to switch. Then how does MS recoup the development costs?

Now, this is not what my personal opinion is, I'm just trying to broaden the discussion. I like the specs the OP posted. What I still don't care for is the way MS names these phones. Its like they look at the clock and whatever the current time is, the phone gets its name. I'm still hoping for a Surface X.
 

a5cent

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What I still don't care for is the way MS names these phones. Its like they look at the clock and whatever the current time is, the phone gets its name. I'm still hoping for a Surface X.

lol, that makes way more sense than it should. 😉
 

Pete

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What I still don't care for is the way MS names these phones. Its like they look at the clock and whatever the current time is, the phone gets its name.

I think everyone agrees with this. I had feedback this week from Microsoft that the naming (or rather numbering) will become aligned to make much more sense than it does now.

I asked Tuula Rytila about the strategy regarding flagship devices this week at MWC. She recognises the demand for a "flagship" device but Microsoft doesn't really want to pull a rabbit out of a hat by raiding the top shelf of the parts bin and calling it a flagship - such a device won't be all that impressive and won't really engage with high end users. As I pointed out in my question, the 1520 is still an effective flagship device even after being 18 months old (or thereabouts).

Tuula's answer was simple and made perfect sense. Microsoft have two factors to match in creating a flagship device:-
1) The device should bring something truly innovative to the market - something that goes beyond simply offering memory/speed/megapixels
2) The device needs to be strong enough in it's features/capabilities to withstand the test of time (and have a long life time at that).

It's probably obvious to most people that the Lumia phones after the buy-out have largely been Nokia devices with Nokia design and feel and components (which is no bad thing).

Microsoft need to make a statement with the next flagship device. It must be Microsoft. It has to do to the phone market what the Surface Pro 3 has done for the lap-tab market and do it well.
 

twint7787

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I think everyone agrees with this. I had feedback this week from Microsoft that the naming (or rather numbering) will become aligned to make much more sense than it does now.

I asked Tuula Rytila about the strategy regarding flagship devices this week at MWC. She recognises the demand for a "flagship" device but Microsoft doesn't really want to pull a rabbit out of a hat by raiding the top shelf of the parts bin and calling it a flagship - such a device won't be all that impressive and won't really engage with high end users. As I pointed out in my question, the 1520 is still an effective flagship device even after being 18 months old (or thereabouts).

Tuula's answer was simple and made perfect sense. Microsoft have two factors to match in creating a flagship device:-
1) The device should bring something truly innovative to the market - something that goes beyond simply offering memory/speed/megapixels
2) The device needs to be strong enough in it's features/capabilities to withstand the test of time (and have a long life time at that).

It's probably obvious to most people that the Lumia phones after the buy-out have largely been Nokia devices with Nokia design and feel and components (which is no bad thing).

Microsoft need to make a statement with the next flagship device. It must be Microsoft. It has to do to the phone market what the Surface Pro 3 has done for the lap-tab market and do it well.

I'm not sure if you were alluding to this or not, but if the next MS flagship doesn't have top of the line specs it's going to be dogged hard. Idc if Windows doesn't need those specs to run well, it needs those specs to sell well. They can't afford to not have the best parts. There are one or two parts I can think of that they probably don't need to be bleeding edge, but everything else should be
 

Spectrum90

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From the desk of the Devils Advocate: All this sounds great for Windows flagship but there is NO WAY MS and its current market position is interested in investing these kinds of research dollars in a "flagship" that maybe 10 out of a thousand WP owners will plunk down the money for. A phone like the OP is talking about will probably price in the 800-1000 range and most of those writing up these specs will be the first ones to scream how crazy MS is. Then comes the comparison to Samsung and Apple for their offerings, thus making it easier for spec chasers to switch. Then how does MS recoup the development costs?

I don't think much research is needed for that phone compared to a flagship with lower specs. The biggest problem is the cost of distribution.
 

d3ac0n

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Next Win10 flagship phone will have an Intel x86, 5"-5.2" screen, 1080p/1440p, 3GB RAM, 32GB +MicroSD and N-Trig support
 

Pete

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I'm not sure if you were alluding to this or not, but if the next MS flagship doesn't have top of the line specs it's going to be dogged hard. Idc if Windows doesn't need those specs to run well, it needs those specs to sell well. They can't afford to not have the best parts. There are one or two parts I can think of that they probably don't need to be bleeding edge, but everything else should be

I think you pretty much misunderstood what I was talking about here. I never said anything about any flagship not using high end components. I simply said that it's going to be more than simply picking the best parts out of the Lumia parts bin. That by no means infers it's going to be sub-standard.
 

Keith Wallace

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If I were in charge over there of Microsoft I would release two flagships. A 1020 and 925 successor. Here would be my preferred specs for each.

Lumia 1030
- Qualcom 810 CPU
- 4 GB of Ram
- 64 GB and 128GB storage options.
- 40MP 1" Pureview Camera sensor
- 6 element glass lens.
- Weather proof body
- Single color (Black)
- Camera grip/battery extender attachmemt available in multiple colors.
- Wireless charging built-in
- 1080p 4.7" screen
- At least a 3600 mAH battery
- USB 3.1 type-c connector
- Fingerprint sensor ala TouchID.
- *Dream option* Adobe Lightroom for W10

This will not be thin phone! Camera performance is of the utmost importance. The 935 will be sexiest Lumia to come out.

Lumia 935
- Qualcom 810 CPU
- 3 GB of Ram
- 32 GB, 64GB, and 128GB storage options.
- 20MP Pureview Camera sensor
- Aluminum body
- Multiple colors available
- Wireless charging built-in
- 1080p 5" screen
- USB 3.1 type-c connector
- At least a 3000 mAH battery
- Fingerprint sensor ala TouchID.

What would be a decision Microsoft can make for you to buy a Flagship from competing platform? Also what hardware would you like to see in the eventual flagahip(s) release?

Posted via the Windows Central App for Android

I'm thrilled you don't work for Microsoft, because I'd hate the route you're taking on both ends.

Much of what you've mentioned, to me, ignores basic logic. The battery stuff is the main thing. I don't get the display size differences either. Oh, and given that there is only one SD 810 model available, how are you going to get different RAM allocations for each device, and why do you even think 4 GB is necessary/beneficial? Lastly, why are you aiming for extreme storage sizes that raise the device's price tag, when a microSD option would solve that issue while keeping the price lower?

I also hate the finger crap, just another gimmick to have to skip during device setup. Aluminum devices suck as well, IMO. I'd rather have polycarbonate, which won't change in feel with the temperature as much (I hate grabbing an ice-cold device or one that's sat in direct sunlight for too long in the summer). I thought that the 925 was a hideous device myself, and would prefer single-color, single-material backing in several colors, like with the 920 (I hated the aluminum band on the 830, especially since it never matched in color to the device). I think my preferred style would be the 930, but without the metal band, with an orange or non-cyan blue option.
 

steve_w_7

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I'm thrilled you don't work for Microsoft, because I'd hate the route you're taking on both ends.

Much of what you've mentioned, to me, ignores basic logic. The battery stuff is the main thing. I don't get the display size differences either. Oh, and given that there is only one SD 810 model available, how are you going to get different RAM allocations for each device, and why do you even think 4 GB is necessary/beneficial? Lastly, why are you aiming for extreme storage sizes that raise the device's price tag, when a microSD option would solve that issue while keeping the price lower?

I also hate the finger crap, just another gimmick to have to skip during device setup. Aluminum devices suck as well, IMO. I'd rather have polycarbonate, which won't change in feel with the temperature as much (I hate grabbing an ice-cold device or one that's sat in direct sunlight for too long in the summer). I thought that the 925 was a hideous device myself, and would prefer single-color, single-material backing in several colors, like with the 920 (I hated the aluminum band on the 830, especially since it never matched in color to the device). I think my preferred style would be the 930, but without the metal band, with an orange or non-cyan blue option.

As a Microsoft employee, you would be a disaster.
 

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