14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft will share more details on its Windows 10 plans in a press event tomorrow, and it looks like the company is very close to revealing a new name for its Windows Phone platform as well.
It's not the first time that we're hearing about such a plan, but there's more evidence online that the company could adopt a new strategy for Windows Phone, which could in the end bring more users on board.
Basically, it all comes down to how Microsoft markets Windows Phone, and as part of a new approach to capitalize on the popularity of the desktop Windows operating system, the company could go for a designation that's not only risky but also very surprising.
Lumia 532 is “Windows 10 ready”
WindowsCentral found that anyone searching Bing or Google for the term “Lumia 532” is provided with a Microsoft-hosted page which reveals that the newly launched Windows Phone device is “Windows 10 ready” thanks to its Snapdragon processor and can run Skype, OneDrive, Office and more.
The most important part is, obviously, the Windows 10 reference, as it turns out that Microsoft could use this name for its new mobile operating system.
References to such a name change appeared for the first time in the fall of 2014, when Microsoft called Windows Phone just “Windows” in some commercials, hinting that it could attempt to capitalize on the success of the desktop operating system to boost its market share on smartphones as well.
It could create more confusion
Calling Windows Phone just “Windows” might prove to be a very risky decision for Microsoft, as there are differences between the desktop and the smartphone platforms, which could really create more confusion among those less experienced.
Buyers of smartphones running “Windows” could expect their devices to run desktop software as well, and before saying that this is stupid, just think about what happened when Windows 8 came out and how hard it was for some people to shut down their computers.
The same could happen once again if Microsoft launches the new mobile OS as Windows, so there's no doubt that, if the company indeed does that, an aggressive marketing campaign clearly emphasizing the differences between the smartphone and desktop platforms is a must-have.