As good as dead, the windows’ phone, did not get to shine like the other Microsoft products. Headlines appeared in various news articles this April, stating the phone was dead, after Microsoft announced its revenue results. If that wasn’t enough damage to the phone’s esteem, Microsoft’s co-founder Bill Gates recently switched to Android Smartphone!
The co-founder decided to join the ship with the others saying that he switched to Android smartphone with “a lot of Microsoft software” in an interview with Fox News Sunday. Microsoft’s own windows powered phones failed to make an impact in the smartphone market, which is dominated by Google’s Android operating system.
Mr. Gates did not reveal which smartphone he was using, but he did emphasize that he had a lot of Microsoft apps in the Android set. Moreover, when it was asked whether he had iPhone as a secondary cell, he replied “No, no iPhone.”
Microsoft has really struggled in the smartphone market to make a success of its own mobile operating system, Windows Phone. With Android dominating the market for a long time, it was almost impossible for the struggling giant to make a mark in the smartphone market. Statistics show worldwide market shares of almost 80% for the Android as compared to Windows phones’ measly 0.1%.
Since the launch of the Windows phone in 2011, Microsoft has been struggling to get the desirability and the visibility of Android and iOS platforms. Thanks to Nokia’s support of Windows Phone, Redmond’s platform has had a long and arguably productive lifespan for those who committed to it.
But unfortunately, in the era of apps and web services requiring a significant user base Windows Phone never picked up the critical mass of users required.
While the Windows 10 cell was not as lucky, starting from a lower share market than the Windows Phone, it never had the advantages that the former platform phone had. In 2014, although Microsoft paid a hefty amount for Nokia’s handset business of about 5.5 bn pounds, yet Windows powered Phones accounted for less than 1% of global smartphone sales in 2016.
“Microsoft’s strategy under its current chief executive Satya Nadella is to make Microsoft apps and services widely available on Android and iPhone,” said Ian Fogg, an analyst at the tech consultancy IHS Markit.
“That’s where their customers are these days.” (source BBC).
It’s kind of heartbreaking to see the Windows phones’ efforts end like this. It’s often perceived by some that the original Windows cell demanded greater market share than it ever deserved whereas the later models earned less share than their superior design should have commanded. Nevertheless, Satya Nadella, after taking over made it clear that he had no intention of going back to the strategy anytime soon.
And by co-founder switching to Android, this clearly marks the end of the Windows phone. Although it’s not sure whether there would be any future models supporting the idea for Microsoft Windows phone.
However, it’s kind of inevitable to compete the already set standards by iOS and Android. For its difficult to bridge the app gap,hardware gap and the consumer awareness gap with hardware refresh, marketing strategy or product roadmap.
Yet, one shall not be dismayed, for the tech Giant may have gone through a tiny sour period. But the way it has outshone in other fields and Windows related gear, one should always be ready for the exciting launches that are bound to make their way to you.