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Microsoft may be ditching Lumia line by end of 2016 for Surface Phone |
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#1 |
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Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: In the future....
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Microsoft may be ditching Lumia line by end of 2016 for Surface Phone
Microsoft may be about to kill the poor selling Lumia range by the end of 2016 and are looking to introducing the Surface Phone in its place. The Lumia range has steadily been discounted already and this may be the end of the line. The Surface Phone may be introduced in October. I guess if this is the case Microsoft will be throwing more good money after bad which they have been doing for years.
http://www.winbeta.org/news/microsof...-surface-phone http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/1387...-going-forward http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/1387...-going-forward |
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#2 |
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Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: United Kingdom
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Honestly, what's the point? Windows Phone is screwed.
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#3 |
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Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 2,324
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I can see it now, a phone marketed at professionals, trying to steal them away from Apple, there will be a fancy marketing campaign and it'll flop.
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#4 |
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Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 25,199
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I can see professionals throwing away their iPhones and Galaxies for another MS reboot
Looks to me like the last chance from Nadella to mobile phone team before he fires them all by an email sent from his iPhone.
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#5 |
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Join Date: May 2005
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Windows Phone really should have done better in the corporate market where IT departments could have had a single platform on all devices. I suppose one of the problems is that the executives who make the final decisions are too tied to the iPhones. Another is that more companies are moving to a BYOD policy when it comes to phones as most people don't like having two mobiles (personally I liked it as I could turn the work one off!)
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#6 |
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Sales in Windows Phone devices have suffered a massive decline even in the past year.
https://www.neowin.net/news/kantar-i...s-fall-further http://www.kantarworldpanel.com/glob...-market-share/ |
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#7 |
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: UK
Posts: 3,291
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Quote:
Windows Phone really should have done better in the corporate market where IT departments could have had a single platform on all devices. I suppose one of the problems is that the executives who make the final decisions are too tied to the iPhones. Another is that more companies are moving to a BYOD policy when it comes to phones as most people don't like having two mobiles (personally I liked it as I could turn the work one off!)
For corporates, there are already a variety of connectivity options to allow iOS or Android devices to connect securely to their environments. I could imagine a phone with continuum could potentially be a device that could replace many peoples laptops, as many corporate applications these days are run via a browser, and the phone versions of Office tend to be pretty good. But the market isn't yet ready for this. Microsoft really are going at this in a really disconnected manner, which isn't really surprising. |
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#8 |
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Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 634
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Quote:
Windows Phone really should have done better in the corporate market where IT departments could have had a single platform on all devices. I suppose one of the problems is that the executives who make the final decisions are too tied to the iPhones. Another is that more companies are moving to a BYOD policy when it comes to phones as most people don't like having two mobiles (personally I liked it as I could turn the work one off!)
The MS mobile strategy just comes across as a right mess - it's difficult to see it inspiring confidence in anyone, let alone corporates who do their research. Shame, as the Windows Phone UI is (or at least was) pretty impressive. |
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#9 |
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Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: a land filled with trolls
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At the end of the day, the best bit about Windows was the UI.. and that can be replicated by anyone else if they so desire. There are Android launchers that mimic the layout, and I'm sure Cyanogen or similar could do more if they thought there was demand (actually, Cyanogen is struggling a bit of late, but you get the idea).
Beyond the UI, you have a platform devoid of the apps that most people want. Staff would prefer their own device that can run their apps PLUS work apps, not a work phone that can run work apps and not their own stuff. I can't see many employees liking the need to carry two devices, so that creates a dilemma - and one that I think Android and iOS is winning and will always win. I know people will say that Microsoft can make it work THIS time with Windows 10 apps, but let's be honest - it's doubtful. It would make more sense for Microsoft to switch to Android, build a custom UI that resembles Windows, and load on all the Microsoft apps, plus seek to find a way to perhaps run Windows 10 apps in that environment instead. BlackBerry is having limited success, but I think limited success is better than total failure by sticking with BB OS, and I am sure Microsoft could do it better. Indeed, when Microsoft dabbled with Android for what now seems no logical reason whatsoever, it showed what could have been if they'd continued down that road. |
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#10 |
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Join Date: May 2006
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VPN + UWP Remote Desktop App + Continuum + monitor/ TV can be fun, but I rather see it as a gimmick than a true laptop replacement. UWP is another app reboot from MS, they made it easier to develop also for phone this time , although it's not seamless. But after WP market share nosediving and MS not giving a toss about consumers (Businesses! Businesses! Businesses!) they scared off anybody still willing to develop for the platform commercially.
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#11 |
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Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: South
Posts: 10,847
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I suppose it's a bit ironic that Microsoft find themselves battling against the inevitable dominance of already established OS's. Gates realized back in the 80s that the software was more important than the hardware but MS still made the mistake of buying the mobile phone equivalent of IBM.
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#12 |
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 14,636
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I happen to have changed employers. The company phone is a Lumia.
I don't think it's much good, though the restrictive policies the company forces on it aren't helping. This is after I worked at a company that embraced BYOD and let you use any phone you liked |
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#13 |
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Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 7,793
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Quote:
Honestly, what's the point? Windows Phone is screwed.
Look at Android. How many phones get the latest version of Android or even the most basic security patches or bug fixes? Apple control the hardware and software on their devices. Mickeysoft can do the same, I really am getting fed up of Android phones that don't get supported for updates for a decent period of time or bugs fixed. I have a Moto G4, it's just had a security patch but will it get another one? At least Mickeysoft can do that to their phones. If they really pushed the security and the promise to support older phones like Apple do they could make inroads. |
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#14 |
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Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 868
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I want to like Windows Mobile, especially now I have switched out my MacBook for a ThinkPad and put Windows 10 on it (which I love. YMMV). The tile layout is ace (I've not found an Android launcher clone that works this well and of course live tiles have to be implemented in the apps) and it just all seems really tidy and slick, aside from the plain dark menus feeling a bit Android 3-ish. The main problem is it came way too late so the support from developers is just not there. Put Pokemon Go and Pebble support on it then we can talk
![]() It would be nice to have a viable third competitor. Android enters another year still not having sorted its fragmentation and updates issues out, and Google reinvents wheels so fast it can make your head spin. Now we're using Hangouts for SMS! Now we're encouraging you NOT to use Hangouts for SMS! Now we're introducing a new SMS replacement app! 6_9 Meanwhile iOS tootles on sticking firmly to "dump icons all over your screen like you're on Windows 95" and the usual "Apple's way or the highway" stuff. Give us a good alternative! |
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#15 |
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Join Date: Jul 2002
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You can of course stick to phones that are going to get updated, such as Nexus phones.
It's a shame Lenovo had done what many feared would happen with Motorola. |
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#16 |
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Join Date: Mar 2002
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Quote:
You can of course stick to phones that are going to get updated, such as Nexus phones.
It's a shame Lenovo had done what many feared would happen with Motorola. Lets not even go into VoLTE and WiFi calling support ![]() http://www.androidpolice.com/2016/08...-our-goodbyes/ |
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#17 |
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Join Date: Nov 2003
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Quote:
You can of course stick to phones that are going to get updated, such as Nexus phones.
It's a shame Lenovo had done what many feared would happen with Motorola. ![]() I still have faith in Lenovo. I've been looking at the history of their Thinkpad takeover and it goes *20 series - Excellent *30 series - same but mess up keyboard layout a bit, switch to chiclet keys (I prefer these, dislike the layout) *40 series - Go full "MacBook Copy" - avoid this model unless you want a Windows MacBook. *50 series - listen to their fans and put the trackpoint buttons back *60 series - listen to their fans and sort the battery situation out They listen. I think it's just taken time for them to find their feet after taking over from IBM. If the *70 series has a chiclet keyboard but with the classic layout I'll love them forever. |
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#18 |
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Join Date: May 2005
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Quote:
I happen to have changed employers. The company phone is a Lumia.
I don't think it's much good, though the restrictive policies the company forces on it aren't helping. This is after I worked at a company that embraced BYOD and let you use any phone you liked 1) Small company (under 20 employees) where they supplied a phone but you could pick an iPhone, Android or Blackberry (when they were still a thing) 2) Bigger company (few hundred) where everyone got a HTC M8. Phone was OK but I never liked the HTC implementation of Android. 3) Even bigger company (few thousand) with a BYOD policy unless you do a lot of international travel where they supply an iPhone. Windows phones were trialed but not enough people liked them. What I don't like now is that we have gone from supporting Exchange through native email and calendar apps to requiring people to use the crappy AirWatch app. I know it's more secure but it's bloody annoying. What has been very successful is a pilot of Surface Pro tablets. For people who spend all day going between meetings and don't need a lot of power or storage they have worked very well. Applications such as PowerPoint and OneNote go to a different level with touch and stylus control. We started on SP3 with Windows 8.1 but have recently started rolling out SP4 with Win 10. Desktops and laptops will be Win 10 by the end of the they year. |
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#19 |
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Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 5,100
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I don't even see how Windows Phone can succeed in corporate/enterprise environments. You already get a vastly better Office 365 experience on iOS devices vs. Windows. It's very clear Microsoft is more committed to building great tools and experiences for iOS and Android. That's where the users are, and where the money is, And if even the owner of the Windows platform treats it like a second class citizen, why would anyone else waste time devoting precious resources to Windows Mobile?
Surface Phone has not a prayer of being successful. |
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#20 |
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Join Date: May 2006
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HP Elite x3 is, after a very long time, a Windows phone with a wow factor, I may even get one, because I don't want either iPhone or Android. But for consumers there's not enough attraction in apps and HP and MS don't really care about them anyway and businesses don't really make decisions based on "wow, that's a nice phone". I think MS made a mistake when they willingly stopped fighting for consumers, now they may have a problem to make any splash as a business phone either.
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#21 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: UK
Posts: 3,291
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Quote:
In my last 3 jobs, I've had 3 different mobile policies
1) Small company (under 20 employees) where they supplied a phone but you could pick an iPhone, Android or Blackberry (when they were still a thing) 2) Bigger company (few hundred) where everyone got a HTC M8. Phone was OK but I never liked the HTC implementation of Android. 3) Even bigger company (few thousand) with a BYOD policy unless you do a lot of international travel where they supply an iPhone. Windows phones were trialed but not enough people liked them. What I don't like now is that we have gone from supporting Exchange through native email and calendar apps to requiring people to use the crappy AirWatch app. I know it's more secure but it's bloody annoying. What has been very successful is a pilot of Surface Pro tablets. For people who spend all day going between meetings and don't need a lot of power or storage they have worked very well. Applications such as PowerPoint and OneNote go to a different level with touch and stylus control. We started on SP3 with Windows 8.1 but have recently started rolling out SP4 with Win 10. Desktops and laptops will be Win 10 by the end of the they year. Never had a problem with AirWatch myself, but I hear that plenty of others have. With regards your comment on storage, I really doubt that many people genuinely need that much storage - i'm a software developer and have a laptop with a 500gb drive. Of which I use less than 100gb. I would genuinely love to be using a Surface to replace my laptop, would definitely be a better option for when attending meetings or moving around the office. |
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#22 |
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Join Date: Jul 2002
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Quote:
Latterly policy has moved to it being Android for most employees, with only certain areas being allowed iPhones.
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#23 |
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Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 868
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The best thing any smartphone maker could do is make one with a battery that lasts. As in properly lasts, a week. And do it now. (I know hydrogen cartridges may be coming but that's in a few years). Don't know how, maybe e-ink screen, not too much obsession on 'thin', etc.
People would flock to it, even if it runs Windows. It's easily the number one gripe most people have about smartphones, they just don't last long enough before you're staring at that red battery icon. Then they complain about it one too many times and get a new phone, the placebo effect lasts about a week and they're complaining about that one too. Lumias somehow had a (as far as I can tell, false) reputation for reasonable battery life and it's always seemed to me to be one of the few things that's kept it from failing as long as it has. |
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#24 |
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Does management see an iPhone as some sort of special perk?
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#25 |
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Join Date: May 2006
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Quote:
The best thing any smartphone maker could do is make one with a battery that lasts. As in properly lasts, a week. And do it now. (I know hydrogen cartridges may be coming but that's in a few years). Don't know how, maybe e-ink screen, not too much obsession on 'thin', etc.
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Looks to me like the last chance from Nadella to mobile phone team before he fires them all by an email sent from his iPhone.

