Some problems won't be resolved by Windows 10, he says

Jul 4, 2015 08:11 GMT  ·  By

Windows 10 will launch this year on both PCs and smartphones (PCs will get it first this month, whereas smartphones will receive it in September or October), and Microsoft hopes that the new OS will help it not only secure its leading position on the desktop but also become a fiercer rival to Android and iOS in mobile.

That's unlikely to happen though, some analysts believe, pretty much because Redmond has too many problems to resolve in Windows Phone with Windows 10 Mobile and that's not possible with just one release.

Plus, it has a long way to go to compete with Android and iOS, as Windows Phone is still running on some 3 percent of smartphones around the world, while its rivals have more than 40 percent, depending on the market.

Jan Dawson, chief analyst at Jackdaw Research, believes that Windows 10 will indeed bring some changes for Windows Phone, but these won't be enough to save it. The new options that Microsoft is offering to bring Android apps on Windows 10 won't help it either, he says, mostly because some additional work for porting apps is needed.

“Windows 10 does hold out some promise for Windows Phone, but it's not going to make an enormous difference. Microsoft could abandon Windows on mobile if it continues to languish with a tiny market share. These bridges are designed to lower the barrier to entry for developers that currently can't be bothered to do the development work from the ground up. But porting still involves some work, so the question as to whether it is worthwhile remains,” he was quoted as saying by ChannelWord.

Android apps on Windows 10 Mobile

And he might be right. Basically, bringing Android apps on Windows 10 Mobile shouldn't really be a difficult thing to do, but this still involves additional work that developers need to do that.

Now Microsoft has to convince these developers to bring their apps on Windows 10 Mobile, but with a 3 percent market share, that might really be a tough job.

There are some rumors out there claiming that Microsoft is considering dropping Windows Phone at some point in the future and replacing it with Android, and although that sounds like the hell is about to freeze over, many claim that would indeed be a way for Microsoft to become more relevant in mobile.

Needless to say, Windows 10 Mobile is going to be Redmond's critical moment for the smartphone business, and if this doesn't work either, the company should start reconsidering its options.