Top Windows Phone news of the week: Two flagships, Ubuntu challenges, tiny growth
In Windows Phone news this week came the exciting rumor that there will be two flagship Nokia phones this year, Edge browser extensions will be coming, and WP market share grew slightly the past year.
Edge browser extensions coming to Windows Phone, eventually
Microsoft recently shared that extensions to its upcoming mobile browser, Edge, is coming with Windows 10. The ability to extend functionality to the browser using developer produced extensions is necessary for Microsoft to compete with other platforms.
Windows 10 will be released on a staggered schedule, and Windows Phone will get the new OS, but not at launch. No exact timing for the Windows Phone release has been given by Microsoft.
Microsoft to produce two Lumia flagship phones this year
After a long stretch of mediocre Windows Phones as the only choice, it is being reported that two new Lumia flagship quality phones will appear this year. The new phones are rumored to have displays of 5+ inches and competitive components inside.
Enthusiasts have been lamenting the phones released of late aimed at the low end market for Windows Phones.
Ubuntu may get PC convergence before Windows Phone
Microsoft recently unveiled Continuum, but Ubuntu may release similar functionality first. This new feature coming in Windows 10 will allow using a Windows Phone with PC peripherals, turning the handset into an impromptu PC on the desktop.
The folks behind Ubuntu plan to release a phone that has similar capability, and hope to get it to market before Windows 10 hits Windows Phone.
Microsoft can't seem to get any traction in the smartphone space as recent figures confirm. Windows Phone market share had meager growth year-over-year (YOY) of only 0.9 percent worldwide.
Most of the growth is attributable to the EU, offsetting market share losses in the UK and US.
