Windows Phone Called Off, Future of Microsoft in Mobile Space?

On October 8, 2017 Microsoft's Corporate Vice President in the Operating Systems Group, Joe Belfiore posted a series of tweets on Twitter, which confirms that the company's mobile platform Windows Phone is officially dead, and Windows Phone platform will be on maintainance mode - bug fixes and security updates will be shared till 2019 max, but new features and hardware not being the focus. The main reasons he pointed out that lack of developers supporting the platform, lack of hardwares and low volume of users on the platform. 

This is the new face of Microsoft, lead by Satya Nadella, which chooses collaboration over competition, as noted by The Verge. Microsoft is shutting down many related apps and services and extending them to other platforms.

Microsoft announced shut down of Groove Music (previously Zune Music) by December 31, 2017. At the same time Microsoft's Edge Browser is to be launched on iOS and Android app store. Arrow Launcher has been rebranded as Microsoft Launcher.

Microsoft failed, it's simple.


Microsoft's WRONG TURN :

Stephen Elope was the trojan horse sent to Nokia by MS CEO Steve Balmer (September, 2010). Elope broke the backbone of Nokia - the iconic mobile phone brand could not keep its pace against the new competition by iOS and Android (Nokia was at top of mobile handset business since 1998). Nokia did not opt Android, nor its home grown Symbian was upto the mark on the contrast to Android. They tried their own mobile platform MeeGo*, but it was scrapped by Elope in February 2011 and finally Nokia adopted Windows Mobile platform.

* In 2005 Nokia developed Linux based operating system Maemo (shipped with Nokia 770 tablet). Later in 2010 Nokia's Maemo & Intel's Moblin merged to start MeeGo project.

Ultimately Nokia sold its handset business to Microsoft in April 2014. The deal made Microsoft to enter into smartphone handset market as CEO Steve Ballmer wanted the company to produce more hardware and turn it into a devices and services company, but it also backfires as two biggest name - HTC and Samsung slowly removed Windows Phone platform from their smartphone lineup.

And Microsoft messed it up completely paving the way of duopoly of Android/iOS in the smartphone market. In 2015, Microsoft took a US$7.8 billion write-down on the Nokia purchase and planned restructuring of Microsoft Mobile.

In July 2017 Microsoft sold its Nokia feature phone business to HMD Global, a Finnish startup backed by former Nokia executive Jean-Francois Baril, and an associated factory in Vietnam to Foxconn's FIH Mobile subsidiary. FIH also bought back other distribution and manufacturing assets from Microsoft Mobile.

Nokia subsequently entered into a long-term licensing deal to make HMD the exclusive manufacturer of Nokia-branded phones and tablets outside of Japan, operating in conjunction with Foxconn. The deal also granted HMD the right to essential patents and feature phone software. The deal was pretty complex - but the brief is Microsoft will no longer own Nokia brand.

HMD subsequently announced the Android-based Nokia 6 smartphone in January 2017.

Why did MS want to burn their hands in mobile phones?

It came late in the party, and missed the fun.

Great question, indeed! Back in 2002-03-04-05 Google was launching several softwares for Windows under Google Pack. That time Microsoft was the company who was very much in software and Google was just an search engine. Watching this Microsoft started putting real effort on Bing search (well that it was MSN search). The change of direction of two companies was converging towards search engine to softwares, and later towards hardware.

[Today Google really throttled Microsoft's dominance on Windows software market, by launching several applications, like: Chrome Browser (against Internet Explorer), Google Docs (against Microsoft's iconic Office Suite and others]

During that time in 2005 Google acquired a small start up, Android Inc. that was the first step for today's Android mobile operating system. Google marketed the platform to handset makers and carriers to offer a flexible, upgradeable system.

In the mean time, Steve Jobs has announced iPhone in January 2007, and it was launched on June end that year. Apple's iPhone launch fueled Google's development around Android. The first Android smartphone was HTC Dream, announced on September 23, 2008.

While two biggest competitors were addressing the new age market - smartphone market, Microsoft was still working with Zune Media Players (2006-2011) and Windows Mobile (mostly Windows CE, Pocket PC and upto Windows Mobile 6.5). Back in 2004 Microsoft even killed Project Photon in its lab, that could be similar to today's mobile platform.

Microsoft's updated Windows Phone 7 platform, which was at par with Android and iOS came in 2010, which was already late.

Unfortunately Microsoft joined the party late, and missed all the fun. Unlike their tremendous success on laptop and desktop, Microsoft failed miserably on the mobile platform.

So what's the future for Microsoft in smartphone market? 

First being realistic, and to focus on Android/iOS to make them better. Ultimately Microsoft is a software giant. So make apps! And Microsoft is already doing that in a quite proper way like a 'stealth submarine'.

Secondly Andromeda OS - though it's making waves over internet, we really don't know what's that actually. Even we don't know it's real or not. However many assume that it could be Microsoft's hidden project to "modular" Windows build that can be used on any device form factor.

As the topic is being discussed over internet, what I feel Microsoft wants to do a Windows on desktop way. Buy the OS and install it on any portable device, just like we do install Windows on our desktops or laptops.

If you're thinking selling mobile OS is a bad option, let me inform you that Jolla is selling their Sailfish OS X for only Sony Xperia X devices for 49.90 Euro in Europe. If Jolla can take such steps, why don't Microsoft?