There are several aspects that can define smartphones from 2017: Bigger screens, smaller bezels, fewer headphone jacks, and a serious lack of Microsoft. The last point is probably the most predictable, but also the most disappointing. Now that BlackBerry has officially hopped on the Android train, Microsoft’s Windows 10 Mobile was the last shining hope for an official third major platform. Although the writing has been on the wall for a while, I was, admittedly, hoping for a miraculous turnaround for the declining platform.
But while I think it’s too late for Windows 10 Mobile to turn around, I think there is still a chance that Microsoft can make a name for itself in the mobile space, maybe even innovating the way smartphones are used. Maybe.
As a traditional smartphone platform with a focus on mobile apps and texting, I think it’s too late. But the more I read, the more it seems like Microsoft might be developing a device that’s PC first and mobile second rather than the other way around. If true, I think that it’s still possible for Microsoft to be a game-changing innovator for mobile.
That seemed to be where Microsoft appeared to be heading in the first place with the development of Universal Windows Platform, or UWP, but its execution hasn't been as straightforward as it was meant to be and received lukewarm reception from both consumers and developers. It doesn’t help that Windows 10 Mobile devices aren’t very tantalizing compared to Apple’s iPhone and the countless Android devices out there. Windows 10 Mobile ends up being more of the same with fewer reasons to switch. But perhaps if they can offer a truly innovative “pocket PC” experience with an option of being a mobile device, then they might be able to make some headway.
Recent patents by Microsoft speak of a device with a foldable dual display, suggesting that the device could be used as either a smartphone or a tablet. The idea of foldable displays has been around for a while, and even Lenovo demonstrated a similar concept a couple of years ago alongside a foldable device that could be used as either a smartphone or a smartwatch. It’s clear that foldable displays are going to be a part of technology in the future; the question is, who will develop it well enough (and quickly enough) to be among the first capture the hearts of consumers?
From my perspective, offering something so radically different from what we see today is where Microsoft’s best chance for success currently exists. It just has to work well, which is easier said than done.
It’s an idea I can get behind. I use both my smartphone and my laptop equally as often, it seems. My smartphone has replaced a lot of things I previously used my laptop for, but I still have many reasons to use a laptop. Could a foldable laptop/tablet running on Windows, my preferred operating system, replace my need for two devices? Perhaps. It’s hard for me to imagine a world like that now, but I’m not counting the possibility out. In fact, I’m kind of rooting for Microsoft. I still think that Windows Phone/Windows 10 Mobile had a solid foundation, so I would hate to see it all go to waste.
It’s difficult to keep putting stock in Microsoft in the mobile industry. After all, the company has gone through three major operating system overhauls without much avail; what’s to say a fourth time would work out any better? On the other hand, there’s no sense in quashing the potential when the alternative is to accept a duopoly between Android and iOS. While I enjoy both platforms, I can’t help but hope for a third platform to work out somehow.
Readers, what are your thoughts? Do you think Microsoft still has the ability to innovate the mobile space? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
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