14 DAY TRIAL // With Windows phones nearly gone, Microsoft is focusing entirely on Android and iPhone, trying to improve its apps in a way that would allow customers to forget that the company once had its own mobile platform.
Just like the rest of us, Microsofties have migrated to Android and iPhone as well, and CEO Satya Nadella makes no exception.
At Microsoft Inspire recently, Nadella used a live demo to showcase his favorite Android apps, explaining that all of them help create what he called a Microsoft 365 endpoint. In other words, all the apps he uses, which are obviously developed by Microsoft, contribute to building a Microsoft smartphone from a software perspective.
His favorite apps include Outlook, which Nadella described as the best Gmail client, Microsoft Teams, Yammer, Cortana, and the To-Do app for Android.
No Windows mobile device
In terms of hardware, the closest Microsoft could get to mobile device is the highly-anticipated Andromeda, which according to some sources may have phone calling capabilities, though it won’t be a smartphone per se.
Andromeda is supposed to launch as a modern interpretation of the classic Courier concept, featuring a dual-screen design with multiple form factors like laptop and tablet.
Microsoft will continue to release security updates for Windows 10 Mobile devices until mid-2019, at which point the company will retire the platform entirely. At this point, Windows 10 Mobile is already in maintenance mode.
Microsoft itself confirmed that there are no plans for new devices and features for Windows 10 Mobile, and Joe Belfiore recommended users to switch to either Android and iOS. This is one of the reasons the software giant is so committed to improving its app ecosystem on these two platforms.
Certainly, Microsoft CEO using an Android device may be painful for Windows phone enthusiasts, but for the time being, leaving behind the company’s mobile platform is the only way to go.