14 DAY TRIAL // Photos showing an alleged Samsung Galaxy S8 model running Windows 10 Mobile surfaced earlier today, and while everyone knows they’re all fake, hardcore Windows phone fans couldn’t help but imagine how their favorite mobile platform would be should Samsung decide to launch such a project.
Truth be told, a Windows version of a Samsung Galaxy S8 isn’t so far-fetched, especially because Microsoft itself is selling the phone in its own stores and Samsung agreed to pre-install a series of apps like Skype, Office, and OneDrive.
But as far as the fate of Windows 10 Mobile is concerned, it doesn’t even matter if Samsung launches such a device or not because of a simple reason: the lack of devices wasn’t the only problem of Microsoft’s mobile ecosystem and a single device can barely make a difference.
The Samsung Galaxy S8 is without a doubt a masterpiece, so having it running Windows 10 Mobile would clearly be an important win for Microsoft. But not a game-changing one. And on the other hand, one person cannot whistle a symphony, so even if it launches, the Galaxy S8 Windows phone would barely boost sales and save the platform.
The overly-discussed lack of apps
The lack of devices wasn’t the biggest problem of the Windows Phone ecosystem, although it surely was one major drawback. The lack of developer support, which in turn led to the lack of apps, and the slow pace at which Microsoft delivered updates had a big impact on Windows phones, with reduced interest from OEMs coming only as the tip of the iceberg.
At this point, it’s not even known if the Galaxy S8 would actually be able of running Windows 10 Mobile, as the Snapdragon 835 processor that powers it is not supported by Microsoft’s operating system.
Microsoft does support this chip but only for Windows 10 on ARM, a new emulation system that brings the full version of the operating system on ARM processors. With this project, Microsoft wants to bring new devices to the market, though there’s still no evidence that phones are also included in this plan.
In the meantime, there’s a good chance that neither Microsoft nor Samsung see a Galaxy S8 running Windows 10 Mobile as a good idea, especially with Redmond’s increased focus on Android and iOS lately.
So, the answer to the question in the headline is just one and you’re not going to like it. Could a Windows 10 Mobile-powered Samsung Galaxy S8 save Windows Phone? No.