Could it be possible that if windows phone's share dips any further, microsoft gives up?

[Protocol Rahul]

I read a verge article although didn't make much sense, it was right on one thing, windows phone is struggling to stay relevant. Windows 10 will bring big changes but it's still far away. People here defend the app gap situation stating they don't have the needs, or whatever they need is available through 3rd party apps or so on. We all have discussed about every other disadvantage windows has over other platforms, so my questions is Does Microsoft know these disadvantages?

* I know all the pros and cons of the situation as I mentioned and so let's just discuss whether there is a possibility for Microsoft to just give up, not right now may be a year from now.
I just want to know what Microsoft is doing now, knowing what situation they are in.

 

[Athull]

I think it all depends on how W10fp goes. Probably by 2016 this time if WP still shows no signs of real growth by then MS might just pull the plug.
But hey devices like 640/640 XL can do a world of wonders for WP if they are made available everywhere quickly and if MS does bring similar devices in the near future then WP might finally go over the 5% mark on share.

 

[teckris]

There is a potential in W10 and also Windows Phones are getting attraction. So MS could win one day and soon...

 

[3earnhardt3]

Microsoft will never give up on phones, they realize that phones are quickly becoming the dominant computing platform. Windows phone as we know it might disappear soon however as Microsoft transitions phones into the x86 architecture. I imagine the phone of tomorrow wirelessly docking with your full size monitor, mouse and keyboard to provide the full windows experience and legacy app support. With a seamless transition to a more limited phone interface when undocking.

 

[Tsang Fai]

We have to look at the whole ecosystem, not just Windows Phones.

The whole picture is, MS still has a very big share of PC market but a small share of smartphone market. With the universal apps architecture, even the laptop/tablet PC users can download those apps that are supposed for the Windows Phones. So I would predict Windows 10 will help the Windows Store grows much faster than ever, both in terms of number of apps, and most importantly the quality and diversity of apps.

I believe MS knows the current situation very well - people are resistant to TRY Windows Phone. But with Windows 10, we are expecting many people to have a taste on the Windows Store. With a much wider acceptance and popularity of the Windows Store, there would be certainly more people willing to try and buy a Windows Phone, be it a low-end or a high-end phone.

In the short term, Windows Phone may continue to diminish. But in the long run, I am optimistic of Windows 10, Windows Store, Windows tablet and also Windows Phone.

It is just a matter of ecosystem. There is limited thing MS can do on boosting the sales of Windows Phone. But for the ecosystem, there are some long-term strategies that MS is adopting right now.

 

[Tsang Fai]

Microsoft will never give up on phones, they realize that phones are quickly becoming the dominant computing platform. Windows phone as we know it might disappear soon however as Microsoft transitions phones into the x86 architecture. I imagine the phone of tomorrow wirelessly docking with your full size monitor, mouse and keyboard to provide the full windows experience and legacy app support. With a seamless transition to a more limited phone interface when undocking.

More people are now talking about this possibility. With more mature technology (e.g. wireless screen projection from phone to TV), that could become something very useful and popular. MS can then change the whole story of mobile devices.

Imagine how cool it is, when you are back home, continue your games/apps on a big TV screen, or even on the TV in your friend's home, in the hotel, etc. If Microsoft is the first company to make this happen, Windows Phone would no doubt become a fantastic device.

 

[SteveNoza]

Ugh, that would mean choosing between BlackBerry, iOS or Android, yuk!
No, I think Windows mobile is here to stay as Microsoft is pushing into cloud and mobile systems.

 

[henocksandy]

If Windows 10 does not work for MS, then they might bring Android apps support

 

[tmservo]

I don't see this happening.. however, I'm silently waiting for MS to go 'home' to what it knows.. that is, I think WindowsRT is absolutely dead (tablet OS) which they've basically said.. and I think that clears the ground for MS, owning the Nokia WP line to do something radical in the market... if the want truly universal app space, they have a way to do it..

Lenovo P90 is the first smartphone powered by Intel?s 64-bit Atom | ExtremeTech

Start making X64 Intel powered phones. They want total universal portability? A while back that would have been hard to pull off; but now it may be within their grasp with their old ally in Intel.

If Microsoft really wants to break through, they need to shake things up. Having true instruction ready app portability would absolutely do that. A laptop in your hand.

 

[Guytronic]

windows phone is struggling to stay relevant.

Windows phone is only perceived as struggling because the tech media says so.
I use an Android phone in addition to my beloved 925.

Windows on a phone is very relevant to me.
The goings on about this app-gap is useless and tired.
I see few Android apps that are relevant to my personal use.

Microsoft mobile is far from struggling it's more of an adventure for the curious.
Lord save us if MM ever reaches the state of boring complacence that the other 2 platforms are struggling to overcome.

Old saying:
"Too much is never enough..."

 

[Protocol Rahul]

See we all are satisfied with the app we have, but it's the perception windows phone has around the world. Like you said it's the tech media that think wrong, You are right but general public(I must have asked 100s of people in my university) doesn't know that. If I say why don't you chose windows phone over android, their answer is there aren't enough apps and good look educating them that what ever you need is already there. So the whole point is how can we perceive windows phone better over android. It's not like they won't try, for example when 520 launched in 2013 I saw 520s everywhere, but same cannot be said for the phones today. I no longer see any lumias around. 535 is plagued because of touch screen issue(even if it is resolved now) lesser people takes interest. So It all comes down to the combination of good hardware, software and perception. Even if we are getting the first two of them right. we are not focusing on the perception.
For example, there are plenty of apps launched everyday but it's very rare if one of them supports windows phone. It doesn't matter if any user would take interest but he sees that it's not available for windows phone which in his opinion is not doing well, so ignores and has a negative impact.

 

[Visa Declined]

Windows phone is only perceived as struggling because the tech media says so.

Windows Phone's low market share is a myth concocted by the tech media?

 

[Laura Knotek]

Windows Phone's low market share is a myth concocted by the tech media?

I believe the causes of low market share are more complicated than what is mentioned by the tech media.

The low-end Windows Phones are actually selling at decent rates. However, most users in the US and in the EU prefer high-end devices. The carrier exclusivity and limited availability of high-end devices definitely have an effect on the low uptake of Windows Phones in those markets.

 

[Laura Knotek]

Regarding apps, I've seen or heard many ads on TV/radio here for certain companies that actually have Windows Phone apps only mention "Apple App Store" or "Google Play Store" in their ads. If one did not know any better, he/she would think that particular company did not have a Windows Phone app.

 

[MaxyBley]

I do not think that MS will ever abandon WP. More than ever they are now more committed to WP.

 

[Praxius]

Microsoft is doing quite well when you look at the bigger picture.

Everybody who wants to trash Windows Phone tend to focus on WP's Market Share in the US, while elsewhere in the world, their market share is much better.

Case in point is this article I just read about 2 mins ago:
IDC: Windows Phones held 9% smartphone market share in Sri Lanka in Q4 2014 - WMPoweruser

Elsewhere, areas of the EU have a healthy increase in market share.

As for the comment about Windows RT, specifically Windows' mess up in the tablet market, Microsoft is actually doing better in that department too.

IDC Tablet Forecast Predicts Windows Tablets May Become Threat To iPad : PERSONAL TECH : Tech Times

Based on the tablet market figures released by the IDC, worldwide shipments of the devices will reach up to 234.5 million in 2015 which is a modest increase of 2.1 percent compared to the previous year. IDC said that the boost in sales of the devices is the result of the arrival of Windows 10.

"The introduction of Windows 10 later this year is expected to be well received and support the Windows ecosystem, including some PC replacements," said by the IDC. "However, it will also provide a better experience with mouse and keyboard, effectively relieving some pressure to move towards touch, and supporting non-PC devices such as two-in-ones, likely without boosting total PC shipments significantly."

The IDC has also forecasted that Apple's market share will have its first taste of decline in 2015, something that will place it at its lowest level in three years. A number of speculations claim that Apple is gearing up for the release of a bigger iPad that it touts as having advanced features to rekindle sales. However, some experts seemed to disagree.

As for Windows Phones, I have no concerns about Microsoft dropping them anytime soon.

Just because Steve Ballmer messed things up by jumping too far ahead of what consumers wanted in Windows 8 and Windows Phone not quite reaching the expected heights, that doesn't mean Satya is going to do the same thing and so far, he hasn't made any major mistakes with the direction he is going.

Steve seemed to have taken a page out of Apple's book by making something and then hyping it up to being everything everybody wanted without even asking, but Windows users are not like Mac / iPhone users. They have brains. You can sell a 1" wristwatch to Mac fans at $10,000+ or sell them a tin foil thin laptop with only one port which you need to buy an $80+ adapter to do more than one thing.... And they'll bow in it's unfounded glory as something nothing else can compete with & throw their money at Apple because Apple tells them to.

Satya understands (so far it seems) that Windows users have brains and he wants to get feedback from those brains in order to make products those brains want. Because of this, Microsoft has the ability to break the Android / iPhone Dominance over time.

As far as I can see, there is only one way to go from here and that's up.

 

[UncleGrandpa]

The argument that the lack of WP apps is no big deal is wrong. Its everything. Ask any kid or college aged person what phone they want. They drive the sales...not business professionals. Developers will always develop last for WP last if at all. A new flagship won't change anything. Its all about the apps/games.

 

[Jorge Holguin]

I read a verge article although didn't make much sense, it was right on one thing, windows phone is struggling to stay relevant. Windows 10 will bring big changes but it's still far away. People here defend the app gap situation stating they don't have the needs, or whatever they need is available through 3rd party apps or so on. We all have discussed about every other disadvantage windows has over other platforms, so my questions is Does Microsoft know these disadvantages?

* I know all the pros and cons of the situation as I mentioned and so let's just discuss whether there is a possibility for Microsoft to just give up, not right now may be a year from now.
I just want to know what Microsoft is doing now, knowing what situation they are in.

Read this and you will understand why WP is here to stay. Why Microsoft can not give up on Windows Phone - WMPoweruser

 

[fatclue_98]

The argument that the lack of WP apps is no big deal is wrong. Its everything. Ask any kid or college aged person what phone they want. They drive the sales...not business professionals. Developers will always develop last for WP last if at all. A new flagship won't change anything. Its all about the apps/games.

You're assuming those kids and college folks will never age or enter the workforce. Those same people will become the business professionals that are unimportant today. Father Time is undefeated.

 

[Joshwin]

No way.MS will never give up on WPs,and there is no reason to.MS is $hit hot at WP these days.it has sung its teeth deep now,and wont let go until it makes WP the best mobile OS in the world just like windows PCs.