Smartphones Microsoft in withdrawal “for a few years” – The Point

After years of attempts to penetrate the smartphone market general public, Microsoft is far from them. “Our strategy for Windows Phone is focus on the part of companies, we are now out of the party for the general public,” says Vahé Torossian, the new president of Microsoft France (and still vice-president of Microsoft Corp.). Comments which confirm the statements of the CEO Satya Nadella in front of a commission of the u.s. government in June : “we have a specific position on the mobile today, focused on the company”, but “we are working on the next big thing” (next big changmement). In fact, this is confirmed by the stop of the production of the Windows Phone range-Lumia mid-2016, and the mass dismissal of ex-employees of Nokia, which was acquired 5.4 billion euros in 2013.

The entry ticket on the smartphone market general public today is very high, and Microsoft prefers to make ” the bet of a technological leap in a few years, with a change of paradigm “. To be clear : Microsoft does not wish to pursue a saturated market by Google (Android) and Apple (iPhone). The giant of Redmond prefer to wait a “few years” to try to be among the first arrivals on the market that will be created when the current smartphones will be relegated to the museum. “During the time of this transition, we do not stay on the market of smartphones for the general public, we still specifies Vahé Torossian.

updates continue

However, “Microsoft continues to support and update smartphones Windows, as well as the development of new devices”, he says. And it is true : the mobile version of the Windows operating system continues to be updated, including for smartphones general public. The hundreds of thousands of beta-testers (the ” Windows Insiders “) of Windows 10 Mobile to be distributed in the world continue to receive test versions on their smartphone, at a significant rate. And the sales of the last-born, the Lumia 950, 950 XL and 650 continue to be actively supported by Microsoft.

nevertheless, the market share of Microsoft on the smartphones never took off, customers complaining about a lack of mobile applications developed for the Windows operating system. The fusion of the nuclei of Windows and Windows Mobile, which occurred with the arrival of Windows 10, has not changed the situation. Not more than sales correct on some markets, including France.

The Surface Phone fades

These statements are likely to shower the hopes of the followers of Windows Phone, who praise its ease of use and synchronization with a computer, the face including the Apple iPhone, as well as its innovative user interface, in the face of the static icons of the competitors. Those who have migrated their mobile to Windows Phone will probably have to make the journey in reverse with all their data when they decide to change the camera.

Even the prospect of a new Surface, Phone for the general public clears. This device, derived from the line of hybrid PC and tablet of Microsoft, if it exists one day, will probably be more expensive, because aligned on the target premium of the Surface, but primarily it will be aimed primarily at business… when Asked about these rumors, Vahé Torossian remains elusive : “The line products the Surface is intended to evolve into new types of form factor “, that is to say of the products other than tablets, large-format and PC laptops.

anyway, it is a real strategic problem for Microsoft. Without a presence on the smartphone market general public, it will be more difficult to impose its ecosystem, the real sinews of war. Certainly, Microsoft has developed most of its applications stars for Android (Google) and iOS (Apple), but he can never benefit as much as if the apps Office, Outlook, OneDrive, or Xbox were installed on Windows devices. And Apple and Google, controlling the heart of the smartphone will, of course, any to impose, rather, iCloud, iTunes, Google Drive or Gmail to their customers.