Satya Nadella Is Keeping the Windows Phone Dream Alive

Megalith

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Microsoft’s latest 10-Q SEC filing saw the omission of Windows Phone as an investment and suggested that the company had finally given up on that business, yet the CEO believes they will (or, at least, should) continue making devices, particularly those that create new categories (e.g., the Surface line). I still think that Microsoft has a Surface Phone up its sleeve, which could be a true stroke of genius on a hardware basis, but is it too late to sell people on their mobile OS?

Microsoft has all but given up on Windows Phones, but it seems the idea of a smartphone running a Microsoft OS has not completely died at Redmond. In an interview with MarketPlace discussing Minecraft and H1B visas, they also touched on Microsoft’s plans for phones in the future. Nadella emphasized that if they would make a phone, it would be a device which breaks the mold like their Surface line, and creates new product categories. “We make phones today, we have OEMs like HP making phones and others and we picked a very specific area to focus on which is management, security, and this one particular feature that we have called Continuum, which is a phone that can even be a desktop,” Nadella said.
 
No. I gave MSFT 3 chances with their modern Windows Phone push. Fuck that. Samsung has tried (Focus), Nokia died for their sins (920 - also, fuck you MSFT for dumping support for this phone faster than Sony dumps year old Xperias), and Microsoft themselves are failing as a direct phone OEM (650).

This is after several others swore MSFT off after the dumpster fire that was Windows Mobile 6.x.

At this point, I will go to Amazon's FireOS before I ever consider yet another failed Windows Mobile/Phone push.
 
Nope. I like having a 3rd player in the phone market, but I don't think Windows Phone is what we need or deserve.

Wasn't Ubuntu making a phone OS? Or Firefox or something? Wonder what happened to those, or if it would just be like a different flavor of android.
 
I do like the idea of a snap on wallet type case that is also a keyboard like the surface tablets use. . .
 
Good. I really like the Nokia 640 with WP10 on it that I have as a spare phone.

Would love to see a Surface Phone sporting full Win10 Pro/Enterprise on it.
 
oh jesus, cant someone just go there and like, murder that retard?
 
If MS ever releases a phone that's also, you know, just a computer . . . then I might be interested. I could install whatever I want on it and have fun.

Oh wait, that's Android.
 
I know two or three individuals here that are already in line to buy them.;)
 
Wasn't Ubuntu making a phone OS? Or Firefox or something? Wonder what happened to those
Apparently people don't care much for liberty, privacy and security these days. They prefer walled garden devices that sell out their personal info, allow governments to keep tabs on them, and keep them entertained with mindless app stores.
 
The dead horse is still dead, Nadella. Keep beating on it, though, I am SURE it's going to come back to life ANY day now!
 
If you read his actual comment, he didn't commit to making more windows phones. Instead of just answering directly in plain english "Yes Windows Mobile is dead internally beyond minor patches, and we have nothing in the pipeline" he gave an existential Trump non-answer:

“So in some sense when you say will we’ll make more phones, I’m sure we’ll make more phones, but they may not look like phones that are there today.”

Will we make more phones? Sure. Absolutely... NOT! Yes, no, yes, no, maybe - just kidding. You tell me! Hahaha. Seriously though, when you say "will we make more phones" - gosh - like in what sense? I mean, what's a phone anyway, when you really think about it. So who knows? Who can predict really. What was the question again? Try Office 365 today!
 
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Put a x86 chip into it and turn it to the phone that Ubuntu Edge ever wanted to be...
 
It'll be an uphill battle. Kick-ass hardware can only get them so far. They might find a niche in business class, but for anything else, I don't think it's doable. Android/Apple app stores are so deep in content, that will likely be a determining factor for many.
 
I use the hell out of my Surface... it is an excellent device. Well-built and well-designed. I would totally be on board with a Surface phone, assuming the OS doesn't feel like a bad port.
 
If MS ever releases a phone that's also, you know, just a computer . . . then I might be interested. I could install whatever I want on it and have fun.

Oh wait, that's Android.

Not anymore..Android hasn't been that in a very long time now. All the android manufacturers are trying to be apple now with Sealed cases, locked boot loaders and general inability to do anything except install approved apps. Frankly at this point a windows phone that brought all those features back would stand a pretty good chance. I would certainly give it a shot.
 
Nope. I like having a 3rd player in the phone market, but I don't think Windows Phone is what we need or deserve.

Wasn't Ubuntu making a phone OS? Or Firefox or something? Wonder what happened to those, or if it would just be like a different flavor of android.

Firefox tried and failed to gain traction in non-US and non-EU markets, but they could not beat the cheap budget android devices. Canonical cut their losses and stopped trying to go alone for Ubuntu mobile OS after years of missed deadlines.

For Microsoft to succeed, they need to commit to a long term supported, practical hardware, realistic UI design goals, not more of their typical me too, waaay late to the market products.
 
i would try a windows phone. last time i have one was when 6.5 was around. i was pretty good not great but doable. with win 10 mobile ill give it a try.
 
i still really like my windows phone. I will be sad when it breaks or no longer works or whatever. It is a slick OS. I find it way less complicated and easier to use than newer versions of android.

For business use it is good and I don't mind the lack of apps as I dont need a whole lot. I would love a HP Elite X3 but...kind of no point now.
 
Not anymore..Android hasn't been that in a very long time now. All the android manufacturers are trying to be apple now with Sealed cases, locked boot loaders and general inability to do anything except install approved apps. Frankly at this point a windows phone that brought all those features back would stand a pretty good chance. I would certainly give it a shot.
I would love to agree with you, but can't.
You and I would love an open phone with replaceable batteries (Heck I would love a phone build for practicality, with 18650 batteries and tough) and so on, plus open software like god intended.. but most don't give a shit.
Average user is happy to buy what is sold and just live with it.
Just wanted to add:
I think its a bit sad that for the most part phones quickly evolved as fashion accessories. I would love to accuse Apple for doing this but it was happening long long before.
I makes sense to do this, you are with your phone all the time, I just wished the practical aspect was more widespread that it is I guess (but devices like that will probably tank in sales).
 
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Love the daily updates from stupid land.

Just look at that interface, all of those boxes of different sizes just random. What a fucking mess of an interface it still is.

What Shotglass said in post #12. Totally.

I was excited for a surface phone, but nah, fuck it. BTW, people don't need to be sold on the mobile os, they already use it if they're using windows 10, they already have the mobile os.
 
I would love to agree with you, but can't.
You and I would love an open phone with replaceable batteries (Heck I would love a phone build for practicality, with 18650 batteries and tough) and so on, plus open software like god intended.. but most don't give a shit.
Average user is happy to buy what is sold and just live with it.
Just wanted to add:
I think its a bit sad that for the most part phones quickly evolved as fashion accessories. I would love to accuse Apple for doing this but it was happening long long before.
I makes sense to do this, you are with your phone all the time, I just wished the practical aspect was more widespread that it is I guess (but devices like that will probably tank in sales).

Maybe average users are happy to "just live with it" because it meets their needs? I rarely have battery capacity issues on my S6, the times I generally do, battery packs work AND support other phones and devices.

Maybe you're not average? Thus your needs might go beyond? Just like a honda civic will most likely fill most personal needs but if you are a contractor a pick up is needed? These concepts exist in almost every type of product. The base model is for 90+% and more expensive "pro" versions are for those like yourself that have more advanced needs. I would agree its a shame those options are not readily available to you, just like I realize I am one of the few that wants a good phone but not with a 6" screen, which is getting harder to find each time I upgrade.

As for open software... meh... I prefer the app store it is easy and functions well. Downloading/side-loading etc is just an extra step imo, whether computer or mobile. Don't get me wrong the option should always be there imo, but for mobile, for me, that open custom fan created software/ROMs is more hassle than its worth. Custom ROM... Once you figure out how to get it on there, a year or two later you want to sell or give it to someone else and its a few hours figuring out how to get it back to stock...



I agree that fashion in many cases drives features more than functionality and in some cases reduces the latter. Battle for thinness is a great example, battery life, ruggedness is all given up for thinness. To the point where small gel cases/skins are needed so they fit in your and properly and you don't drop them (but maybe I AM the unique dropper of thin phones lol).
 
Dear MS,

Thanks to your total screwing of the pooch multiple times, Windows Phone is DEAD

the first pooch screw was when

you abandoned Windows Mobile 6.5X in favor of that crap pile known as Windows Phone 7

the second pooch screw was when

you bought Nokia

the final pooch screw was when you sold of your manufacturing assets
 
I think someone should actually print this out and mail it to Redmond as a letter.
Dear MS,

Thanks to your total screwing of the pooch multiple times, Windows Phone is DEAD

the first pooch screw was when

you abandoned Windows Mobile 6.5X in favor of that crap pile known as Windows Phone 7

the second pooch screw was when

you bought Nokia

the final pooch screw was when you sold of your manufacturing assets
 
Love the daily updates from stupid land.

Just look at that interface, all of those boxes of different sizes just random. What a fucking mess of an interface it still is.

What Shotglass said in post #12. Totally.

I was excited for a surface phone, but nah, fuck it. BTW, people don't need to be sold on the mobile os, they already use it if they're using windows 10, they already have the mobile os.

The Windows 10 Mobile OS Interface is far better than anything Android or IPhone has ever had. That said, having a great OS and Interface is no good if you cannot also have apps and programs that load quickly and reliably. The tiles are hardly random but very well organized and you can place them where you wish. You really have no idea what you are talking about but that is ok, you do not need to in order to post. (I have yet to find a person who did not love the Windows Mobile OS itself and preferred it over all others but, it is not good since the company that produced it has basically killed it.)
 
The Windows 10 Mobile OS Interface is far better than anything Android or IPhone has ever had.

Shhezzezzdezz.......BAHAWHAWHAHAHAAAAAAA! Wow, I'm totally guessing you wrote that with a straight face! Thanks for my Friday morning laugh!
 
Shhezzezzdezz.......BAHAWHAWHAHAHAAAAAAA! Wow, I'm totally guessing you wrote that with a straight face! Thanks for my Friday morning laugh!

Yes, I have. After all, to be able to configure an some Android settings, I had to do a search for instructions since everything is buried and all over the place. In the Windows Mobile OS, everything is setup logically and right where you would expect it to be.
 
Yes, I have. After all, to be able to configure an some Android settings, I had to do a search for instructions since everything is buried and all over the place. In the Windows Mobile OS, everything is setup logically and right where you would expect it to be.

Sweet Mr. Subjective! Will say Outlook for Android, and yes I understand it's Outlook ON Android, completely sucks. I have to use it for work. But, hey, props to you. I still got a great laugh! (y)
 
No. As much as I loved the Windows Phone OS, I won't be reinvesting into a new Windows Phone, even if it's a high end Surface Phone. Too many bridges burned, too much neglect from Microsoft. I just can't trust them to stick with it even for the life of the phone itself. Great OS, they had some great phones, but they just didn't want to put too much effort into it. They tried to get dev's into the platform at first, but that died down. So, lack of apps. Carriers stopped selling them, or sold the ancient models (or AT&T had exclusivity on the flagship), or Microsoft didn't put enough into Nokia to bring new phone models, or other manufacturers... Just a clusterfuck, and it's not something I'd jump into again. It's too unpredictable.

Excellent devices, excellent OS. Just not a good track record for support. And that's a huge thing for me.
 
Sweet Mr. Subjective! Will say Outlook for Android, and yes I understand it's Outlook ON Android, completely sucks. I have to use it for work. But, hey, props to you. I still got a great laugh! (y)

Really dude? LOL! You just keep right on a trying, I will keep right on being objective, since, you know, I have actual experience with both. You see, I do not speak out of the hole in my bottom, at least in this instance. :D
 
Maybe average users are happy to "just live with it" because it meets their needs? I rarely have battery capacity issues on my S6, the times I generally do, battery packs work AND support other phones and devices.

Maybe you're not average? Thus your needs might go beyond? Just like a honda civic will most likely fill most personal needs but if you are a contractor a pick up is needed? These concepts exist in almost every type of product. The base model is for 90+% and more expensive "pro" versions are for those like yourself that have more advanced needs. I would agree its a shame those options are not readily available to you, just like I realize I am one of the few that wants a good phone but not with a 6" screen, which is getting harder to find each time I upgrade.

As for open software... meh... I prefer the app store it is easy and functions well. Downloading/side-loading etc is just an extra step imo, whether computer or mobile. Don't get me wrong the option should always be there imo, but for mobile, for me, that open custom fan created software/ROMs is more hassle than its worth. Custom ROM... Once you figure out how to get it on there, a year or two later you want to sell or give it to someone else and its a few hours figuring out how to get it back to stock...



I agree that fashion in many cases drives features more than functionality and in some cases reduces the latter. Battle for thinness is a great example, battery life, ruggedness is all given up for thinness. To the point where small gel cases/skins are needed so they fit in your and properly and you don't drop them (but maybe I AM the unique dropper of thin phones lol).
I guess my single biggest gripe is battery.
I have a very low end LG phone, I do use it quite a bit.. I dont like having to carry around a charger, and to be so mindful of the freaking battery level and my usage.
Obviously battery is smaller, but battery life compares well to my wife's nexus 6.
Even its a cheap phone, yeah its encased, and protected, the idea is for it to last long.
Yeah I have handled thin phones without case, not long enough to drop them, but they certainly did not felt secured in my hand.. Even my cheap phone, with a rubber friction-enhancing case, I have dropped it already 2 times (like a nice big drop too nothing happened of course)
 
I'll see what happens if it comes out and how it compares to the Lumia Icon. Maybe I'll double down on the WinPhone ecosphere.
 
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Really dude? LOL! You just keep right on a trying, I will keep right on being objective, since, you know, I have actual experience with both. You see, I do not speak out of the hole in my bottom, at least in this instance. :D

Righto!
 
Love the daily updates from stupid land.

Just look at that interface, all of those boxes of different sizes just random. What a fucking mess of an interface it still is.

What Shotglass said in post #12. Totally.

I was excited for a surface phone, but nah, fuck it. BTW, people don't need to be sold on the mobile os, they already use it if they're using windows 10, they already have the mobile os.

What are your experiences using a Windows Phone?

The "boxes of different sizes" are up to the user's discretion. If you want all of them the same size in a grid, that's entirely up to you. The reason most people, myself included, have different sized tiles are because of how we use the device and the benefit live tiles provide. At the smallest size are apps I don't often launch or that I don't need to be able to read anything. E.g. my tiles that show how many calls were missed, IMs are unread, etc. Medium tiles I use for more common to launch and/or snippet of info is what I generally need to see if I want to look at it right then. Large tiles I use for things like live calendar or email preview. Grouped tiles are great for keeping watch on things like groups of email folders I want status for.

Sure, I could go to a uniform grid, disable live tiles, and rely entirely on the slide down notification center for stuff, but why would I get an interface that's much easier for me to use? Same for others with their personal phone - the interface they choose is easier for them to handle.
 
The Windows 10 Mobile OS Interface is far better than anything Android or IPhone has ever had. That said, having a great OS and Interface is no good if you cannot also have apps and programs that load quickly and reliably. The tiles are hardly random but very well organized and you can place them where you wish. You really have no idea what you are talking about but that is ok, you do not need to in order to post. (I have yet to find a person who did not love the Windows Mobile OS itself and preferred it over all others but, it is not good since the company that produced it has basically killed it.)

What are your experiences using a Windows Phone?

The "boxes of different sizes" are up to the user's discretion. If you want all of them the same size in a grid, that's entirely up to you. The reason most people, myself included, have different sized tiles are because of how we use the device and the benefit live tiles provide. At the smallest size are apps I don't often launch or that I don't need to be able to read anything. E.g. my tiles that show how many calls were missed, IMs are unread, etc. Medium tiles I use for more common to launch and/or snippet of info is what I generally need to see if I want to look at it right then. Large tiles I use for things like live calendar or email preview. Grouped tiles are great for keeping watch on things like groups of email folders I want status for.

Sure, I could go to a uniform grid, disable live tiles, and rely entirely on the slide down notification center for stuff, but why would I get an interface that's much easier for me to use? Same for others with their personal phone - the interface they choose is easier for them to handle.

Yep, I have no idea. I only had two windows phones over the last three years, technically 3 as I ended up giving one to my mum. The last one I upgraded to win10. Full of bugs and felt way too beta. I had to reinstall win10 on it about 4 times before it actually installed almost correctly without too many bugs. Yep, no idea whatsoever on how to change the tiles. Keep digging apologists and get a real phone. Best thing I did was to get a redmi 4 pro. The hardware shits all over anything ms has. Windows 10 mobile is a total pile of crap. Just like desktop. Android 6 is far superior.
 
Really dude? LOL! You just keep right on a trying, I will keep right on being objective, since, you know, I have actual experience with both. You see, I do not speak out of the hole in my bottom, at least in this instance. :D

L O L. That's rich coming from you. Objective and win10 does not happen with you.
 
Yep, I have no idea. I only had two windows phones over the last three years, technically 3 as I ended up giving one to my mum. The last one I upgraded to win10. Full of bugs and felt way too beta. I had to reinstall win10 on it about 4 times before it actually installed almost correctly without too many bugs. Yep, no idea whatsoever on how to change the tiles. Keep digging apologists and get a real phone. Best thing I did was to get a redmi 4 pro. The hardware shits all over anything ms has. Windows 10 mobile is a total pile of crap. Just like desktop. Android 6 is far superior.

Ah, the Android fan boy, having to defend their purchase by calling others apologist. Took longer than I thought. :D
 
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