Microsoft Changes Windows Phone Focus, Has Plenty of Lumias That Nobody Wants

#Lumia #Smartphone – Microsoft Changes Windows Phone Focus, Has Plenty of Lumias That Nobody Wants : Microsoft is trying to figure out a purpose that makes more sense for its Windows phone platform, and the company is reportedly switching focus to the enterprise market, as it thinks its smartphones would be more successful on this side of the industry.

Seeing Microsoft transitioning to enterprise is not at all surprising, but there are reports that the company has tried even more than that, as it pulled lots of phones from retail stores in order to sell them to businesses. And yet, it turns out that this strategy is failing as well.

Rumors claim that Microsoft discussed with three large German companies whose names haven't been disclosed and that they were interested in purchasing a big number of Windows phones.

But after placing their orders, all three decided to cancel the acquisition because of the uncertain future of the platform, especially given that Microsoft itself remains tight-lipped on everything mobile.

No corporate customers for Lumia 650 and 950

Microsoft transferred phones that were originally aimed at consumers and sold through stores to stocks that were aimed at businesses, but now it seems that the company can't convince companies to purchase them.

As a result, the Redmond-based software giant has large quantities of phones that were destined for corporate customers, but nobody seems to want them, so they are now "gathering dust in warehouses."

Both the Lumia 650 and the Lumia 950 are said to be waiting for enterprise customers, and this might actually be a reason why there have been reports indicating that stores no longer sold these phones.

On the other hand, there's also speculation that Microsoft might abandon the Lumia brand entirely and an announcement in this regard is expected in December.

Of course, Microsoft says nothing about this new plan, and just like usual, all these negative reports can only fuel the uncertainty around the platform that in the end leads to more consumers and businesses looking at Android and iOS as their next mobile OS. Source: Softpedia

Source: Microsoft Changes Windows Phone Focus, Has Plenty of Lumias That Nobody Wants

Is Windows 10 Mobile The Answer To Microsoft’s Smartphone Market?

#Windows10 #Smartphone – Is Windows 10 Mobile The Answer To Microsoft's Smartphone Market? : A new Surface phone that runs on Windows 10 Mobile is obviously missing during the Microsoft event last week. Microsoft had big dreams for its Windows 10 Mobile. In fact, it had an ambitious goal of reaching one billion active devices within three years.

However, it has been delayed this year after a dismal slow growth. Microsoft's Windows-based devices market share is also not doing well. Now, it seems that the tech giant may have another plan for the said operating system.

The Fate Of The Windows 10 Mobile

Amidst the absence of a new Surface phone, Windows 10 Mobile is still making its presence felt. HP's new Elite X3 and Alcatel Idol 4S are both running on Windows 10 Mobile operating system. Windows' Terry Myerson shared last week to ZDNet that there's a major reason why the Windows 10 Mobile is still out there.

It now serves more as an investment in technology. The once star of the show is now only an effort to build a commercially viable product. Business Insider perfectly described that the seeming death of Windows 10 Mobile may be a blessing in disguise for Microsoft.

Though Microsoft has failed in reaching that very ambitious goal, it can now focus on its strengths. It should be noted that the goal of the Windows 10 Mobile should have attracted developers to the Windows Store.

Then app makers would choose it over that of iPhone and Android. Likewise, people could have been convinced to buy Windows phones. The issue is evident since other apps are still not available until now in the Windows Store.

Focus On Its Strength

Microsoft would have realized the use of Windows 10 Mobile. For now, the said OS does not seem to help the case of the company's smartphone market share. Whether the upcoming Surface phone will salvage it or not is yet to be seen.

Its Surface Pro tablet is thriving. Microsoft can also capitalize on its Windows-powered laptops and PCs. These are all decent devices that can appeal to consumers of even its competitions. Source: itechpost

Source: Is Windows 10 Mobile The Answer To Microsoft's Smartphone Market?

Microsoft Surface phone images leak; when will Windows 10 mobile flagship be unveiled?

Microsoft Surface phone images leak; Windows 10 mobile flagship phone launch imminent?Evan Blass (aka @evleaks) via Twitter

Microsoft launched the mid-range Lumia 650 in February 2016. But since then, the company has not launched any smartphone, leading many to believe that the Redmond-based company might be working on the rumoured Surface phone series. And now, images of the speculated device have leaked online, hinting that the launch is just around the corner.

Popular spy Evan Blass (@evleaks) has shared three images of Microsoft Surface phones powered by Intel's PC grade processor. This apparently led to a raging debate on social media platforms over the authenticity of the Microsoft phone. Some claimed it to be a concept phone and others suggested it was Dell's rejected phone model.

Blass, in a bid to end the confusion, released a few more pictures this time with promotional snapshots of the fully working smartphone and confirmed it was a real deal.

So far, Microsoft has not made any official comment on the Surface phones, but going by the leaked images, it looks like the company has completed the prototype testing and finalised the model for mass productions.

That being said, Microsoft is unlikely to unveil Surface phone series this year, as it is a bit late. We are already in November, penultimate month of the year, and all the rivals — Samsung, Google, Apple and others — have all launched their respective flagship phones of 2016.

Microsoft Surface phone images leak; Windows 10 mobile flagship phone launch imminent?Evan Blass (@evleaks) via Twitter

If Microsoft really wanted to launch a phone, it would have used the October 26 event, but it chose only to showcase the Surface Book and the Studio desktop series, hinting that the company has a strategy in place to make a big splash to get consumers' attention.

Also read: Samsung buys AI-developer Viv Labs, owned by original Apple Siri creators; Will Galaxy S8 come with AI-assistant?

We believe, Microsoft is most likely to use either the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2017, Las Vegas (January 5-8), or the Mobile World Congress 2017, Barcelona (February 27-March 2), as a launch pad to unveil the Surface phone, where former OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) Nokia and reigning leader Samsung are also slated to unveil new Android-powered flagship phones.

Also read: Nokia confirms participation in MWC 2017; Finnish company poised to return with a bang

Watch this space for more updates.

Source: Microsoft Surface phone images leak; when will Windows 10 mobile flagship be unveiled?

The Leaked Intel-Powered Windows Phone Was Not the Surface Phone

#SurfacePhone #Intel – The Leaked Intel-Powered Windows Phone Was Not the Surface Phone : A couple of days ago, famous leaker Evan Blass posted photos of what he suggested to be an Intel-powered Windows Phone and it goes without saying that many of those who clicked them thought it was the Surface Phone.

The Surface Phone is pretty much the most anticipated Windows Phone and is supposed to be Microsoft's next big thing in mobile that should help reignite interest in the company's smartphone platform. Given the previous rumors that the Surface Phone could come with x86 architecture, it's easy to see why so many people believed this was it.

But a new report from Thurrott and citing sources familiar with the phone claims this wasn't the Surface Phone, but only a project developed by Dell. Information remains rather vague at the moment, and the source says that the shots we've seen online might only be renders and not photos of the actual product.

"Phablet or small tablet with cellular connectivity"

What's more important, however, is that the device was developed to run on an Intel chip and judging from the photos, it was supposed to come with a companion product like a laptop, which is a sign that Dell wanted to maximize the potential of Windows 10 Mobile and Continuum.

Judging from how big it seems in the photos, the phone was most likely a phablet or a small tablet with cellular connectivity, so a 7-inch display seems very likely.

As for the reasons why the phone was abandoned, very little is known so far, but it's believed that bringing an Intel chip on phones is still a big challenge that manufacturers are yet to deal with. Cooling an Intel CPU without a fan in such a small body is still super difficult, while offering decent battery life continues to be impossible, especially if the end goal is to run desktop applications.

On the other hand, this project gives hope that someone might at some point actually build an Intel-powered Windows phone and Microsoft could very well be the pioneer in this direction. The Surface Phone is expected to launch next year, but specifics are not available at this moment. Source: softpedia

Source: The Leaked Intel-Powered Windows Phone Was Not the Surface Phone

Microsoft Surface Book 2 is Already Released as Hybrid Surface Book i7? [RUMORS]

Since the long-rumored Surface Book 2 is a no-show during the Microsoft October event, wild guess has led to the conclusion that the Surface Book i7 represents the said laptop. Since the newly launched laptop has significant improvements to date, rumongers are convinced that Surface Book i7 is indeed the Surface Book 2 everyone is waiting for.

Surface Book i7 Features

Microsoft October event has filled with excitement as fans witnessed the Surface Book i7 during its unveiling to the public. According to Engadget, Surface Book i7 has feature significant enhancements such as longer battery life of 16 hours, runs the Intel Kaby Lake chipsets or the core i7 which doubled up the graphic performance and an additional fan to support GeForce GTX 965M video output.

No major overhaul on the external has made but looking at the internal specs enhancement, Surface Book i7 price tag of $2,399 is enough for Microsoft to deliver an efficient device for mobile computing. Surface Book i7 comes off as more expensive compared to the entry-level MacBook Pro and the high-end ones that feature the OLED touch bar.

Surface Book i7 is a hybrid device that could be use a laptop or a tablet. It's tablet features are similar to that of Surface Pro series and its laptop features are at par with the first Surface Book.

Surface Book 2 Possible Features & Specifications

On the other hand, loyal fans are still hoping for another Surface Book to come out in 2017. Some of the possible features it could have are the 4k display and VR-ready mechanism which will be witnessed by the netizens during its presumed launching in the spring of 2017, according to ZDNET.

Since Surface Book 2 has issues regarding its dynamic fulcrum hinge, fans expected that Microsoft will address the issue and deliver a laptop that close flush and without gaps just like the traditional ones, according to The Verge. 

Source: Microsoft Surface Book 2 is Already Released as Hybrid Surface Book i7? [RUMORS]

Tales In Tech History: Windows Mobile

Microsoft has a curiously long history in the mobile space that began long before it acquired the mobile handset unit of Nokia (and then killed it).

Released in April 2000, Windows Mobile (or Pocket PC 2000 as it was called back then) was a family of mobile operating systems designed for pocket PCs and smartphones.

Windows Mobile

The OS itself was based on the Windows CE kernel from the 1990s, and was designed to mimic the appearance of Windows 98 on the desktop, but on a much smaller screens of course.

Microsoft released a new version of the mobile operating system almost on a yearly basis, and in 2003 changed the name from Pocket PC 2002 to Windows Mobile 2003. From then on the Windows Mobile name stuck.

There was a range of Windows Mobile devices over the years, and Microsoft shipped millions of PDAs loaded with the OS. Other firms such as Palm, LG, Samsung, and HTC also shipped their own Windows Mobile devices.

Early versions came with a stylus because they used resistive touchscreens, but later devices came with finger-friendly capacitive sensing touchscreens.

It is arguable that the height of Windows Mobile came about in 2004, when accounted for 23 percent of worldwide smartphone sales. Indeed, at one stage Windows Mobile was predicted to overtake Symbian to become the leading mobile OS by 2010.

Windows Mobile was pitched very much at the enterprise market, but it was competing against formidable opposition from the likes of Nokia and Research in Motion's BlackBerry, and it never really achieved critical mass, unlike its Windows desktop operating system which dominated the market.

By 2008 Windows Mobile was struggling to retain market share, and in a last ditch attempt Microsoft launched Windows Mobile 6.5 in October 2009 amid diminished expectations.

By then CEO Steve Ballmer had already confessed the company had "screwed up" its smartphone franchise, and to many industry observers Windows Mobile 6.5 was a sort of stopgap measure until Microsoft could launch a new and much improved smartphone operating system, which turned out to be Windows Phone 7 (released in October 2010).

Microsoft Missteps

Many observers felt that Microsoft had doomed Windows Mobile, which was regarded as a fairly decent mobile operating system, because of the uninspiring apps that was bundled with it. That set a low bar for developers building their own Windows Mobile apps.

Another problem came because developers had to build several versions of one app because of the variety of Windows Mobile devices from differing handset makers.

Compare that approach to Apple after it launched the iPhone in 2007. Apple developers only had to develop one version of their app for the iPhone.

In 2009 and 2010 handset makers such as Samsung, LG and Palm began deserting the Windows Mobile platform. Matters were not helped by the fact that Google was already giving away Android for free.

Microsoft consequently switched its mobile development efforts to Windows Phone 7, which delivered a different approach than Windows Mobile, thanks to its tiled "Metro" interface.

The Windows Phone operating system was officially adopted by the fading giant mobile giant Nokia in early 2011, and it seemed for a short time that Microsoft had finally got its mobile act together and stood a chance to make a dent in the consumer space.

But by 2010 the smartphone market had already become a two-horse race between Google's Android and Apple's iOS. Microsoft delivered a slow stream of improvements to the Windows Phone OS over the years, but its efforts proved fruitless and Microsoft has now retreated from the mobile space.

Microsoft officials still publicly stress they are committed to Windows 10 on mobile devices, and there are rumours of a Surface smartphone, but it seems unlikely that Microsoft will ever become a mobile player of note in the current market conditions.

So what went wrong with Windows Phone?

Well, Microsoft had huge resources, but it failed to compete in the mobile market because unlike Google and Apple, which were primarily focused on mobile, Microsoft had its fingers in too many pies as it had to split its development efforts on multiple projects and platforms, not just mobile.

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Source: Tales In Tech History: Windows Mobile

Did the Microsoft Surface Phone Just Leak?

There's been no lack of talks about a possible Surface-branded smartphone from Microsoft eventually coming to market. It's probably every Windows 10 Mobile fan's dream and would likely sell much better than the Lumia offerings from years past. However, there's so far almost been no sight of such a device from MS themselves other than renders made by eager enthusiasts. Nevertheless, fans haven't given up hope yet, and it looks like their waiting may be almost over as renders of a possible Surface phone have surfaced by a leaker with an excellent reputation for 'announcing' products before their appropriate companies do so. This leaker goes by the username of @evleaks, and his name is Even Blass.

Powered by a laptop-class Intel processor, would this have blown your mind? pic.twitter.com/0n2yZPvU65

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) November 4, 2016

Even though Blass doesn't explicitly say the Surface phone, it's pretty clear that the device leaked here is some type of slim handset with USB-C, Windows 10 Mobile, and possibly a "laptop-class Intel processor." This surely sounds like a Microsoft-built device (at least to me), but there's no confirmation here. However, we can say (at least according to Blass) that this isn't some kind of concept art.

.@tomwarren Much more than just a concept. Stay tuned. pic.twitter.com/KmPYCPyGV4

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) November 4, 2016

As you can see, it looks like promotional images for this mystery device have also leaked, giving us a first look at what the could-be Surface phone will appear as in the real world. This gives further indication that this handset may become confirmed at some point in the future. But as aforementioned by Blass, I guess we'll have to "stay tuned."

All in all, these leaks bestow new confidence in those looking forward to a Microsoft-built Surface-branded smartphone that may one day make an official debut. While it doesn't seem likely a late 2016 unveiling will take place, we may see something in the first half of 2017. However, we still advise you to take the information shared here with a grain of salt as there's no confirmation whatsoever that this could be a possible peak at the upcoming Surface phone. That said, with Blass' track record and reliability when it comes to leaks of this kind, we may get a Surface phone sooner rather than later.

Source: Did the Microsoft Surface Phone Just Leak?