While Microsoft is a stalwart in the operating system and software department, they’ve had a rough time with selling Windows phones. Their Lumia line of phones has consistently seen lackluster sales, and multiple technology news websites report the series will be pulled from shelves at the end of 2016.
Part of the problem has been that Microsoft’s available applications for their phones pale in comparison to their Apple competition. If Microsoft wants to be a giant in the smartphone market, they have to get on board with offering a wide variety of useful and entertaining options for users. So far? Those same websites that didn’t mourn the death of the Lumia? They agree there’s not much substance in the way application development that can offer hope.
And then there were issues with the physical components of the phone as well… but you know what? Let’s not even go into that here…
If anyone is a die-hard Microsoft fan, they don’t have to live in fear that Microsoft phones will go the way of the dinosaurs. Rumors originating in the Twitterverse claim a Surface-branded phone is on the horizon, and at least one well-connected blogger with a track record of accurate pre-news headlines suggests this is not a drill. This is purely speculation, but what if Windows could manage to make a phone that rivals whisperings about the Surface Pro 5? Whew! We would be in for a treat! Can you say 4K resolution screens, lightning-fast processors, and everyone’s priority… better battery life? I could keep salivating over the hot pink keyboard of my Surface, but maybe it’s time to get back to reality….
It turns out that there’s no need to get too excited. The Microsoft VP who would know, Terry Myerson, made it abundantly clear earlier this year that phones are NOT a priority for the company. At this rate, while Microsoft presumably should want to dive into an ever-expanding smartphone market, it may be too much to hope for that they’ll stop worrying about virtual reality and existing Surface hardware just long enough to pin down plans for phones to replace the not-so-hot Lumia line.
Additional sources about Lumia’s Demise:
- www.techweekeurope.co.uk/mobility/microsoft-lumia-smartphone-kill-off-windows
- www.pcworld.com/article/3071725/windows/microsoft-just-implied-it-may-never-release-another-lumia
- arstechnica.co.uk/business/2016/09/microsoft-lumia-surface-phone-dead
- www.investopedia.com/news/microsoft-end-lumia-sales-msft-intc
Is there a Surface Phone Around the Corner?
Some Say “Yes”
- www.pcworld.com/article/3052378/windows/expect-several-surface-phones-but-not-anytime-soon
- www.windowscentral.com/surface-phone-slated-april-2017
Others Say “I Doubt It”
- www.theverge.com/2016/3/30/11333378/microsoft-windows-phone-windows-mobile-plans
- www.phonearena.com/news/Dont-wait-for-Microsofts-Surface-Phone-until-fall-2017-or-better-not-wait-at-all
Surface Pro 5 Details:
Even if there will be a Surface phone sometime in mid-to-late 2017 (yes, you read that correctly), and even if U.S.-based Microsoft enthusiasts are willing to hold onto their phones that will seem like antiques by that time, the burden of anticipation may be harsher to European fans of Microsoft, as it seems Microsoft delays releases ever so slightly between North America and markets across the Atlantic. Given that rumors have been swirling about a Surface phone for years and the cold-then-hot approach of top Microsoft executives, waiting on a Surface phone feels like a sure thing in one regard – it’s a gamble.