All my optimism for Windows Phone is now gone given Microsoft's latest news
ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley earlier reported on the massive job cuts in Microsoft's Windows Phone business. After five years of championing Windows Phone, the news today has me finally deciding to leave Windows Phone behind.
I started using Windows Mobile back in 2003 and before that I was using Pocket PC devices. Given that I have been using Microsoft's mobile devices since 2000, you would think I would continue as Microsoft attempts to create an ecosystem with Windows 10.
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However, I've heard the same rhetoric over and over with strategies changing every year or two and success continuing to evade Microsoft. It's hilarious to read my prediction article from two years ago when Canalys predicted Windows Phone would come close to matching iOS by 2017. That's just not going to happen as Windows Phone continues to hover just below the 3 percent mark while iOS continues to be fairly steady in the 16 to 18 percent range.
Nadella stated that Microsoft is going to focus on three segments: business, value-phone buyers, and flagship phone customers. Can someone please tell me who else there is? These are all the same groups they have been focusing on for years, without any real success with Windows Phone.
Microsoft is having success with getting its software on iOS and Android and, in my opinion, they should just focus on those efforts and give up on the phone business. Software is where Microsoft excels in the desktop space and is where they can also excel in the mobile space. Like many others, I use Outlook on my iPhone 6 Plus as it is one of the best email clients available.
I love my Surface Pro 3 and think it's the best computer I have ever owned. Microsoft should stay focused on computers, software, and gaming. It's time to give up on the phone business.
I've written many posts over the years on how great Windows Phone is as a mobile operating system and it is a solid platform. However, if I was to purchase just one device then it would not be running Windows Phone.