14 DAY TRIAL // Windows 10 Mobile is supposed to be Microsoft’s second chance in the smartphone market after Windows Phone barely reached 3 percent market share and remained far behind rivals Android and iOS.
Some say this is actually Microsoft’s last resort, despite the company’s persistent statements that it still sees a future in mobile, but for the moment, it’s very clear that, no matter what anyone claims, Windows 10 Mobile is a critical product for the Redmond-based software giant.
Windows Phone has a very loyal user base, and many of those who try it decide to remain on board despite the problems that lots of consumers, experts, or analysts have criticized over the course of time. These people keep using Windows Phone despite the lack of apps, the significant gap between major updates, and the lack of high-end devices in specific markets.
But with Windows 10 Mobile, Microsoft was supposed to change all these things and continue to rely on the same very loyal user base. While also trying to improve it, that is.
First and foremost, Windows 10 Mobile was expected to address the lack of apps, so Microsoft had several projects in mind when announcing the smartphone operating system. Project Astoria and Project Islandwood were projected to bring Android and iOS apps on Windows 10 Mobile, respectively, while, at the same time, Redmond planned to develop its very own lack-of-apps solution called “universal apps.”
“Windows 10 Mobile was supposed to be Microsoft’s new mobile beginning.”
These universal apps are developed to run on any Windows 10 device, be it a PC or a smartphone, offering the same feature lineup, look, and feel, while adapting the UI to the screen size.
Microsoft also announced a mobile phone overhaul, trying to focus on fewer phones that would tackle demand in a more effective manner. Redmond wanted to invest in three different categories, namely value, mid-range, and flagships, with sources close to the matter hinting that a maximum of two devices for each category were planned.
And last but not least, Microsoft pledged that, with Windows 10 Mobile, its high-end devices would become available to more people around the world, with updates to be delivered without carrier approval. This means the company could update all devices at the same time, without having people to wait for months to get them depending on region or carrier.
In essence, Windows 10 Mobile was at the core of this mobile revolution that Microsoft had in mind, but unfortunately, Microsoft seems to be trying very hard to give people another reason to jump ship.
Many people criticized Microsoft for being late to the mobile party, claiming this was one of the reasons developers weren’t interested in developing for the platform.
And once again, Microsoft seems to be moving very slow, almost painfully slow, to bring Windows 10 Mobile to the market. The company has never provided us with a release date for Windows 10 Mobile, but in one way or another, it let slip hints or suggestions as to when the new operating system could land.
The “Windows 10 Mobile delayed” saga
First, it was December. The company confirmed via its social network accounts that the Windows 10 Mobile rollout was scheduled to begin in December for a number of Windows Phone devices. Then, it was early 2016, and this new date quickly turned into January following information coming from inside the company.
Many believed it was January 12, the first Patch Tuesday of the year, so after missing this date, everyone hoped to see Windows 10 Mobile go live the following week. This didn’t happen, though, so now the time target seems to be February, according to carriers who are testing Windows 10 Mobile on their devices.
Needless to say, these delays that take place every once in a while do nothing more than hurt Microsoft’s mobile business and certainly give users another reason to be disappointed. In the last few weeks, we’ve seen quite a lot of messages posted by Windows Phone users who claim they are tired of waiting, so they decided to move to Android or iOS. Others said they were upset about the whole secrecy that Microsoft put in place, and they also intended to jump ship.
“Loyal users seem to be tired of waiting.”
The reason Microsoft has never offered a date for Windows 10 Mobile’s launch was that the operating system was still in the works, so it was very difficult to estimate when development was completed. Needless to say, the company was afraid that if it provided a launch date and missed it, people would become angry and disappointed, eventually deciding to jump ship to another mobile OS.
Clearly, Microsoft hasn’t really managed to keep all details secret, and information landed on the web as the development team reached new milestones when work on the mobile operating system advanced.
So basically, the disappointment still happened eventually, and now Microsoft has reached a point where it has to speed up development and provide users with the upgrade bits as fast as possible. But this is more like a dead end because, at the same time, the company cannot afford to release an operating system that feels unfinished and is full of bugs.
So one way or another, Microsoft is again shooting itself in the foot, and the only thing that it needs right now is more patience from its most loyal users. But it’s only a matter of time until most are losing their patience, that’s for sure.