Redmond reaffirms commitment for Windows phones

May 3, 2016 07:09 GMT  ·  By

Microsoft barely mentioned Windows phones and Windows 10 Mobile at the recent Build developer conference, so many believed that the company was finally ready to give up on the platform and concentrate only on products that bring home the bacon, such as the PC version of Windows 10.

It was only a matter of time until rumors of a Windows 10 Mobile demise made an impact on its user base, and many decided to jump ship and switch to Android or iOS in search for a platform that actually has a future.

But in a recent email sent by Windows boss Terry Myerson to company execs and partners, Microsoft clearly explains that Windows 10 Mobile does have a place in its vision, and although the focus is not currently on this platform, more improvements are planned for the future.

“I understand that you are hearing concerns from certain partners about Microsoft's commitment to the mobile space. Let me be very clear: We are committed to deliver Windows 10 on mobile devices with small screen running ARM processors,” Myerson said.

Full focus on business capabilities

The Windows boss hasn’t provided too many details on how exactly the company plans to improve Windows 10 Mobile in the future, but he did mention “business customers” as a potential key focus for the platform.

“We are currently in development of our next generation products and I wanted to reconfirm our commitment to Windows 10 Mobile. We believe in this product's value to business customers and it is our intention to support the Windows 10 Mobile platform for many years. We have a device roadmap to support that from Microsoft as well as our OEM partners who will also be selling an expanded lineup of phone devices based on this platform,” he added.

This new email comes at a time when more rumors of a potential Surface Phone emerged, with people close to the matter suggesting that this device would be specifically aimed at business customers.

The Surface Phone is projected to launch in April 2017, and this matches previous reports citing Microsoft employees as saying that “cool things” are on their way for Windows phones users next year.