Windows Phone’s Misadventure: A look at its Project disaster
Windows phones offered great potential in the mobile industry. Microsoft has been a household name for computers and software. However, the product would be one of Microsoft’s most expensive mistake. Despite the billions of dollars invested in the project and the connections that Microsoft has, Windows Phone was never successful. We will look behind its failures, best functionalities, and personal insight on what could have been done for Microsoft to unseat its biggest competitors.
Microsoft is a well-known player for PCs and laptops, garnering 88.53% of the world’s Desktops shares. Some users test the tides and use Linux. Some buy MAC computers despite the cost. Still, there is a high chance that a household uses Windows to run its computer. Nonetheless, this global dominance did not transfer to mobile phones. In October 2017, Windows Phone finally announced its sunset, after a decade of competition with Mobile giants: Apple and Android. There is no future development plan for Windows 10 Mobile or revival.
The Game Changer
In 2007, Steve Jobs announced the first iPhone that caught significant media attention. iPhone became a game-changer with a touch screen, user-friendly phone. Google, during this moment, shifted their gear to adapt to the touch screen design and introduced it after a year. iPhone was expensive because they built their piece in exclusivity. Google’s strategy was different and became everyone’s Operating system. Google partnered up with different Smartphone manufacturers, and market their products as a cheap and functional device. At that time, there is a balance between the two giants in the Smartphone market.
Windows Phone unique user experience
In response to the market change in 2008, Microsoft CEO Stephen Fry announced a refreshing Windows Phone OS in 2010. They offered attractive features:
- Tiles with real-time information
- Calendar showing the next appointments
- A phone app showing your last missed calls
- A messaging app that allows you to see a snippet of text and many more.
Windows followed the steps of Apple, having full control of the user experience.
Windows Phone ignited the Industrial design revolution in the Smartphone world. Microsoft launched Windows Phone 7, prolongs its battery life with a dark theme on OLED screens where black pixels do not emit light. Lumia 1020 is iconic with the round camera bump, and Nokia PureView is a level up counterpart, both advanced with the 41-megapixel camera sensor.
Among these giants, Microsoft is the most experienced in Mobile devices. Back in 1996, Bill Gates introduced a Handheld PC. The compact device runs in a Windows CE Operating embedded system. The Operating System was successful and had six full releases. In the year, 2006–2008, Microsoft invaded 20% of its market share.
The Conflict
After all these innovations, Microsoft did not receive enough credit. According to former Executive Vice President of Microsoft and head of its Windows and Devices Group Terry Myerson, the unique user experience did not compensate for the challenges of creating it. Windows CE platform was incomplete to start with, making it run unevenly. The development of the device was not fast enough to wrestle with iOS and Android’s popularity.
Windows Phone did not stand out because of its chronic failure to attract third-party application developers. It was a question for Microsoft when to start developing essential software. A massive miss was when most of the internet users are on mobile, a start-up app like YouTube was unavailable on their system.
Personal thoughts at Windows Phone misadventure
There is much to learn on the Windows phone’s mishap.
Microsoft did not prioritize a third-party ecosystem. Not being able to download essential apps like YouTube and Instagram is a sure disaster for any mobile device. Hiring the top skilled developers may not help them at that moment because time is valuable in technology.
Also, Microsoft did not consider Apple’s innovation as a threat to the market. It took them a full 2008 to see the trend. In addition to this, Windows Phone updates took a while to arrive in the market, causing compatibility issues between their old and new versions.
Lastly, this misfortune shows how important user experience is. An app’s road map must include the consumer’s behavior and feedback. When Microsoft finally found out what was the right thing to do, many consumers already moved on to what they traditionally know.
Windows Phone had the greatest potential. It’s a refreshing Smartphone and had a very competent design. In this society where everything is fast-paced and innovation should be proactive, going back to the basics is the key. Microsoft, a company that established its brand in every household, told us the story of the best ideas and the finest innovation but the basic requirements were not met.
