Microsoft Could Be Developing Its Own Windows Phones Discussion

[Ed Hardy]

Earlier this week, Microsoft took the wraps off a line of tablets, which will be sold directly to consumers as the "Microsoft Surface". An industry analyst says that this company plans to do something similar with smartphones.

Read the full content of this Article: Microsoft Could Be Developing Its Own Windows Phones

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[Mitlov]

It only makes sense. The Surface either (a) is meant to adopt the Apple way of doing business, or (b) is meant as a kick-in-the-pants to third-party hardware manufacturers who weren't throwing really enticing options out there. Either way, the same could be true with Windows Phone. Samsung and HTC in particular need a kick in the pants...their Windows Phone designs tend to be half-hearted compared to their Android designs.

[weegie]

Well, it probably won't be long before they buy Nokia anyway so at least they'll have the ODM sorted :-D
I don't personally see the HTC and Samsung WP models being any worse than Nokia's and if I had to choose on looks alone, it wouldn't be Nokia.

[Mi An]

Samsung and HTC in particular need a kick in the pants...their Windows Phone designs tend to be half-hearted compared to their Android designs.

They have a lot more freedom to design for Android than for WP7.x, and a lot more demand to allow them to build more diverse product lines. They also don't have one Android competitor getting a billion dollar payoff and preferential treatment dampening their enthusiasm or ability to compete. MS's hardware partners are pulling their weight and a little more. Kicking them again might not produce a happy outcome.

[weegie]

Yep, it actually astounds me HTC is soo loyal to Microsoft after being shafted three times now, or maybe it's merely a cheaper alternative to having legal action hammering them.

[Hook]

They have a lot more freedom to design for Android than for WP7.x, and a lot more demand to allow them to build more diverse product lines. They also don't have one Android competitor getting a billion dollar payoff and preferential treatment dampening their enthusiasm or ability to compete. MS's hardware partners are pulling their weight and a little more. Kicking them again might not produce a happy outcome.

Why buy Nokia when they have served their purpose to raise interest in Windows Phone until MS can get other interested and can be left as another carcass by the side of the road like so many other former MS collaborators.

[Mitlov]

Why buy Nokia when they have served their purpose to raise interest in Windows Phone until MS can get other interested and can be left as another carcass by the side of the road like so many other former MS collaborators.

Nokia Drive is now being licensed for all WP8 phones--that was part of this week's announcement. MS will use licensing like that to bouy Nokia up, just like it's playing similar games to keep BN afloat until Windows RT tablets prominently featuring Nook reader apps and/or a next-gen Nook Tablet running a Microsoft OS.

The WP8 announcement was a short-term loss, long-term gain for Nokia. Nokia will now be able to bring high-performance hardware to battle toe-to-toe with Android flagships (which the restrictive hardware of WP7 just couldn't do), AND Nokia is going to make licensing money even from Samsung and HTC WP8 phones.

Would people have preferred that WP8 be a conservative, minor update to WP7 so that every WP7 phone could run WP8? Imagine if WP8 didn't exist and WP7.8 was named WP8. It almost seems like that's what a lot of the "WP8 was a stab in the back" journalists would prefer. But if MS had actually done that, it would have been accused of taking baby steps when it needed a great leap forward.

[Drillbit]

I don't think there is any long term future for Nokia, honestly. The PC industry is one with everyone living on too thin margins. Every maker is just a road maker leading to the house. Only the house owner gets richer because he controls the commerce. Microsoft wants to transform the smartphone industry to the PC industry in this manner.

[Mitlov]

I don't think there is any long term future for Nokia, honestly. The PC industry is one with everyone living on too thin margins. Every maker is just a road maker leading to the house. Only the house owner gets richer because he controls the commerce. Microsoft wants to transform the smartphone industry to the PC industry in this manner.

As opposed to the status quo? Isn't every single Android maker besides Samsung losing money by the dump-truck-full? I thought I read that somewhere.

[Drillbit]

Actually you got your facts wrong. Its HTC and recently Sony Ericsson in its last quarter that showed a decline. Smartphone sales for LG and Motorola were actually up --- their businesses are losing because of the cut rate margins on featurephones and with LG, also with cheap TVs. I don't recall seeing ZTE and Huawei having any trouble either.

Please note that Samsung is also a PC manufacturer, and yet they are making a lot more money on smartphones.