14 DAY TRIAL // There is a long debate online regarding the impact that the free Windows 10 upgrade offer might have on the device market, and some believe that PC shipments are very likely to be affected because only few consumers would actually be interested in purchasing new computers.
But while PC sales might suffer because of the free Windows 10 upgrade, phone sales are likely to increase in the coming months, ODMs reportedly say, according to a report by Digitimes citing unknown sources.
While it’s hard to verify the legitimacy of this report, given the fact that no sources have been provided, such a scenario does make sense at some level when analyzing the impact the free Windows 10 upgrade offer might have on PC and phone sales.
More money for phones
Basically, because consumers will be allowed to upgrade to Windows 10 at absolutely no cost, and the operating system will work on Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 PCs without any hardware upgrades being required, the money that users were expected to spend on the new software can be used for something else.
And ODMs believe that this money could go to smartphones, as many consumers are very interested in the latest mobile phone models on the market.
But the biggest question right now is how interested they actually are in Microsoft’s devices. Redmond has been mostly about budget and mid-range models lately, with flagships only expected to arrive later this year, so Microsoft might miss this opportunity because of the late 2015 release date for both Windows 10 Mobile and new flagships.
Android and iOS could indirectly benefit from the Windows 10 upgrade offer if consumers are indeed looking to spend their money on new smartphones, but it remains to be seen if this scenario can take place starting later this month, when the new operating system officially debuts.