14 DAY TRIAL // It's not a new thing that Microsoft is planning to rename Windows Phone in the next release, but there are signs that the company might actually pick a completely different name than the one rumored by tech sources in the last few months.
It turns out that Microsoft might actually be planning to rename Windows Phone to Windows Mobile, if we are to trust some mentions in a bunch of job advertisements published on Microsoft Careers and spotted by WMPowerUser.
There is nothing confirmed so far, but these references seem to indicate that Windows and Windows Mobile will actually be Microsoft's future platforms powering the desktop and smartphone/tablet devices.
Here's what one of the job ads reads, according to the aforementioned source:
“With a portfolio including MSN, Microsoft Media Network, Windows Mobile, Xbox and Bing, our range of deeply targeted channels span the entire digital lifestyle.”
Senior program managers will also work on the new Windows Mobile platform, a job advertisement reads, again pointing to a possible name change that might take place in the coming months.
“Are you passionate about working with partners to help them build and bring to market differentiating device experiences on Windows and Windows Mobile?” it reads.
Windows brand also possible
Previous reports on the matter indicated that Microsoft might be planning to rename Windows Phone to just Windows in order to capitalize on the popularity of the desktop operating system.
Of course, buying a Windows smartphone might cause more confusion among users, as some could expect the device to offer the same experience as a PC does, and Microsoft doesn't afford any more problems in this regard.
Confusion has already affected sales of Windows 8 when the modern operating system reached the web, and there's no doubt that Microsoft wants to avoid doing the same mistake twice. But judging from a business perspective, marketing Windows Phone as just Windows could indeed lead to increased sales.
All these changes are supposed to occur before Windows Phone 10 is officially released to users, which, according to people close to development plans, should happen in spring of 2015.
Windows Phone 10 might actually merge the smartphone with the tablet platforms into a single solution powering both types of devices, and thus help Microsoft eliminate the confusion created by Windows RT.
Again, Windows Mobile could really make sense at some level, but it remains to be seen if the company is indeed ready to go back to an operating system that was already abandoned some years ago.
