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Why Windows Phone Will Fail

Microsoft has listed July 2014 for when it will end support for Windows Phone 8. Already? It’s been five months since Windows Phone 8 – the second generation of Microsoft’s Windows Phone OS was officially lauched. Has it saved Microsoft from its downward plunge in the mobile sector? Not quite, going by sales data.

Why windows phone will fail

Problems Galore

Even though it is a thing of the past now, Windows Phone 7 was lacking features so basic, it was hard to imagine a company like Microsoft, combined with years of a head-start in the smartphone OS market, could have missed them. For phones running Windows Phone 7, the Wi-Fi would automatically switch to sleep mode whenever the handset was locked – there was simply no way to have Wi-Fi running while the phone was idle. An even bigger shock – there was no Call Log. You simply couldn’t see how long any of your calls lasted. Aside from that, there was no Bluetooth file transfer support, no screen orientation lock, and a lot of other features that come standard in all phones.

Microsoft made efforts to fix these issues in WP8, but has only succeeded partially. In fact, a fresh set of problems were discovered in WP8. There have been many users reporting storage space loss over time – with only a factory reset being a viable solution to this so far. There were also cases of random reboots and freezes across a range of devices – Microsoft pushed an update to fix this, but the problems persisted. Android or iOS have never reported problems on this big a scale.

Abysmal Market Share

The lack of apps was obvious in Windows Phone 7 – and there hasn’t been any progress in WP8. Google recently declared that it would NOT be developing apps for the Windows Phone platform as it did not see any consumer demand. Google Apps product management director Clay Bavor said Google has “no plans to build out Windows apps”, adding that they are “very careful about where we invest and will go where the users are but they are not on Windows Phone or Windows 8.” So there, without Google Apps – and that includes Gmail, Maps etc, WP8 start is crippled already. You can’t come up with an alternative to that. iOS has Google Apps, Android has Google Apps. But WP8 doesn’t. It’s doomed.

The biggest reason things don’t look too bright for Windows Phone is because 2 ecosystems may be enough for the market. Steve Ballmer says Microsoft is selling 4 times the number of Windows Phone 8 devices as compared to the last generation. Despite that, WP8 devices hold a meager 3% market share in the world right now. Windows Phone 8 hasn’t worked the way Microsoft had hoped it would.

A study conducted by Bernstein Research concluded that consumers simply don’t want Windows Phones. The research cited:

The lack of consumer interest for Windows-based phones has been very consistent in marketing surveys we have carried out across the globe over the last several years. The situation of Windows in mobile phones is now very unlikely to revert.

With iOS and Android controlling almost 91% of the smartphone OS market between them, getting consumers to switch will be very tough.

Microsoft is trying not to be Android – that is apparent by its efforts to maintain quality by maintaining restrictions and standards. Although iOS has all its restrictions in the software category only, Microsoft has gone on to list strict hardware requirements for manufacturers. The result: apart from minor variations in performance, design and color, there’s nothing unique about any WP8 device. Windows Phone 8, while offering nothing ‘unique’, is still aiming to pull users from iOS to itself. And it’s hard enough pulling iOS users to Android anyway.

Android, due to its open nature, has been adopted by most manufacturers in the world. Although this does raise concerns about quality consistency across devices, it still helps sell the platform as entry-level devices would run only this OS. For consumers who cannot afford an iPhone, this is their best choice. Windows Phone 8 devices do not come cheap – if a consumer is going to purchase a Windows Phone 8 handset (which cost as much as solid mid-range Android devices) – there is no reason not to go for established handsets like the HTC One S, or even the Samsung Galaxy S2.

The only solution that Microsoft might have in the near-future is to drop prices. As long as Windows Phone devices continue to sell at par with other premium devices, consumers will choose the latter. A reduced price seems to be the only incentive that might work. Otherwise, sooner or later, Microsoft will have to give up on Windows Phone 8. There is simply no room for a third OS. HP’s WebOS was a well-made one, but did not succeed. The market cannot have 3 ecosystems at the same time.

CFO Peter Klein has said that Microsoft has no alternate plan should its current mobile strategy fail. With July 2014 being the end-date for official support for Windows Phone 8, we might not see a Windows Phone 9 at all.

8 Comments

  1. getoffmynewsfeed says:

    Ending support – not patching any further – just as IOS 3.2 is no longer supported
    iPhone doesn’t support Bluetooth file transfer, all IOS devices look the same.
    windows phone marketplace = fastest growing
    You need to either research your articles better, or just give up.

    1. Shashank Bhardwaj says:

      Being the fastest growing marketplace isn’t good enough. Consumers don’t buy products based on such factors. If there are better alternatives (iOS, Play Store), it’s obvious they’ll go for it. You don’t buy your phone hoping your app will soon release for its platform. You’ll buy the phone which already supports your app.The 2% market share clearly demonstrates that.
      The iPhone may not support Bluetooth file transfer – so what is Windows phone doing to gain an edge there?

      iOS Devices get regular software updates. Which Windows phone 7 device made it windows phone 8? All the users got was a joke they called windows phone 7.8

      1. You are talking out of your Mr “19 year old.” One wonders if you’ve ever touched let alone seen a Windows Phone. The tripe you wrote here is laughable. You need to do a little research before you write young man.

        1. Shashank Bhardwaj says:

          Seems as if you’re offended because I insulted your phone.
          I’ve probably used Windows Phones longer than you have. Been a Windows Mobile fan since 2004. This article is factually accurate, so maybe you need to respond in an unbiased manner.

          1. Mohseen Lala says:

            I think they should market Windows 8 phones to toddlers, the Metro scheme and bright colors, would appeal very much to that demographic. I’m a genius! Just saved Windows Mobile from collapse, where’s my applause?

            1. Robert Mwangi says:

              They need Android. I’m telling you I’ll toss all my phones and get a Nokia ASAP

        2. can’t help agree with the stuff with here. The facts are undeniable: it is the worst apps store, & some of the missing features are shocking. got myself a lumia last year. Worst decision ever. didn’t even have angry birds. Face it bro.

    2. Fastest growing marketplace is nothing to be happy about. You measure it in percentage growth. The number of apps in the marketplace itself is so tiny, any absolute increase translates to a high %age growth. In short: it’s still the worst of the 3 OSes.
      and, ending support in 18 months is too quick by any standards.

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