Microsoft Denies That It Will Make Its Own Windows Phone 8 Hardware Discussion

[Grant Hatchimonji]

Contrary to previous reports, it turns out that Microsoft has no intention to manufacture its own smartphones for its Windows Phone 8 mobile operating system.

Read the full content of this Article: Microsoft Denies That It Will Make Its Own Windows Phone 8 Hardware

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[Mitlov]

I thought about this some more (my initial response was "I bet they will"), and I agree it doesn't make sense for them to do this. While Samsung's recent WP offerings have been half-hearted, HTC and Nokia are already doing everything they can within WP7.5's strict hardware limitations (the Titan II and the Lumia 800 and 900 respectively). HTC has already outlined some impressive-looking hardware for WP8, and nobody can doubt that Nokia is taking an "all in" approach to WP8. So they don't need a "kick in the butt" the way tablet makers needed (most of the designs revealed at Computex were cheap and uninspired (i.e., Acer), used an Intel Atom processor (Thinkpad), or both).

If Microsoft intended the Surface tablet to be the beginnings of an Apple-style hardware-AND-software business, it'd make sense to release a Surface phone as well. But if the Surface was merely meant as a halo device to get consumers and OEMs interested in higher-end Windows 8 tablets and out of the "netbook 2.0" mentality, then there's no parallel need for a Surface phone.

EDIT:

All that said, a designer did one hell of a good-looking mockup of what a Surface phone would look like if Microsoft's latest announcement is a fib:



Do want.

Microsoft Surface Phone 8 concept will make your handset jealous | Stuff magazine

[Varjak]

That is a good-looking mock-up. There isn't enough innovation in phone design, even though the parameters are pretty strict. So are the parameters for cars (4 wheels, 2-4 seats for the most part, etc.). Android needs a flagship device, and the SIII, as cool as it is, is not it.

[Mitlov]

That is a good-looking mock-up. There isn't enough innovation in phone design, even though the parameters are pretty strict. So are the parameters for cars (4 wheels, 2-4 seats for the most part, etc.). Android needs a flagship device, and the SIII, as cool as it is, is not it.

I think the One X is a credible contender for that title. A step behind in performance specs, but the attractive unibody case and the gorgeous screen give it more subjective appeal in my opinion.

I'd like to see more phones that really step outside the box design-wise, though. The Lumia 900, particularly in cyan, was a really memorable design, but it's the exception and not the rule in today's market.

[Hook]

I thought about this some more (my initial response was "I bet they will"), and I agree it doesn't make sense for them to do this. While Samsung's recent WP offerings have been half-hearted, HTC and Nokia are already doing everything they can within WP7.5's strict hardware limitations (the Titan II and the Lumia 800 and 900 respectively). HTC has already outlined some impressive-looking hardware for WP8, and nobody can doubt that Nokia is taking an "all in" approach to WP8. So they don't need a "kick in the butt" the way tablet makers needed (most of the designs revealed at Computex were cheap and uninspired (i.e., Acer), used an Intel Atom processor (Thinkpad), or both).

If Microsoft intended the Surface tablet to be the beginnings of an Apple-style hardware-AND-software business, it'd make sense to release a Surface phone as well. But if the Surface was merely meant as a halo device to get consumers and OEMs interested in higher-end Windows 8 tablets and out of the "netbook 2.0" mentality, then there's no parallel need for a Surface phone.

EDIT:

All that said, a designer did one hell of a good-looking mockup of what a Surface phone would look like if Microsoft's latest announcement is a fib:



Do want.

Microsoft Surface Phone 8 concept will make your handset jealous | Stuff magazine

That pic makes me realize part of why I hate the tiles. It looks like Google Play and I hate Google play. Just not the way I want things organized or how I want them to look. Sorry for the non-squitur, but it just hit me and that photo is what made it hit.

[Mitlov]

That pic makes me realize part of why I hate the tiles. It looks like Google Play and I hate Google play. Just not the way I want things organized or how I want them to look. Sorry for the non-squitur, but it just hit me and that photo is what made it hit.

Yeah, Google's also been going for the "chrome-less" look recently (oh the irony). I think Microsoft does a better job of chromeless design than Google does (the gmail redesign is particuarly awful), but at the end of the day, if you don't like that flat two-dimensional look, neither is going to look attractive to you.

From an aesthetic perspective, I'm glad we're getting more diversity in the market. Not all cars look similar inside or out; why should all OSes look similar? For a while, everyone used glittery little 3D icons and a sci-fi aesthetic like a certain Cupertino company. I'll be the first to admit that the "Aero" design of Vista and Windows 7 was very derivative of OSX. I'm glad that different companies are once again finding their own distinctictive design aethetics instead of all following a similar design paradigm.

[Hook]

Yeah, but it is only lately that there has been a move to lock in looks. That's why I will always prefer "vanilla" Android or will ROM to get it. I don't want Senseless, Motoburp or Touchmywiz unless I can dismiss them and design my own look to my own needs. Windows would throw all kinds of things at you in the past, but you never had to go along with them.

Once I buy it, it's my platform, not theirs.

[Mitlov]

Yeah, but it is only lately that there has been a move to lock in looks. That's why I will always prefer "vanilla" Android or will ROM to get it. I don't want Senseless, Motoburp or Touchmywiz unless I can dismiss them and design my own look to my own needs. Windows would throw all kinds of things at you in the past, but you never had to go along with them.

Once I buy it, it's my platform, not theirs.

Maybe because I used OSX for years, but I don't have an expectation that I can redesign the aesthetics of my OS's interface (beyond basics like color scheme and wallpapers) any more than I expect to be able to redesign the interior of my car. Audi has a very different interior aesthetic than Acura, for example, and maybe I have limited experience in the tech field, but that's been my experience with electronic UI's as well.

It's true that Android doesn't fit that...but I think Android and Linux (both open-source OSes) are the exception and not the rule here. From my Wii to my PS2 to my Windows machines (particularly XP machines) to OSX machines to iOS devices, the devices come with a certain aesthetic from the manufacturer and that's that. There may be work-arounds for the extremely tech-saavy, but it's not something that Microsoft or Apple or Nintendo or Sony has ever encouraged or facilitated to my knowledge.

[Hook]

And my experience is very different. Windows has always been very customizable (themes, toolbars, menus, even widgets) going back to Windows 3.1, Palm (Zlauncher), Even Symbian. As long as Tiles are my only choice, I won't be looking at Windows Phone.

I don't have these expectations for embedded systems (cars, game platforms, TV), but I don't consider a personal computer, even in my pocket, an embedded system. A computer where I can't set up the UI the way I need it so I can work is not terribly useful to me.

[weegie]

EDIT:

All that said, a designer did one hell of a good-looking mockup of what a Surface phone would look like if Microsoft's latest announcement is a fib:



Do want.

Very nice looking concept, I like square sides, it reminds me of the first WP7 prototype made by Asus except better.
Making their own model wouldn't help relations with existing partners and they obviously realize that.If WP8 grows the platform significantly, I could easily seem them doing it then.