Microsoft is all set to introduce the Windows 10 Mobile ecosystem to users of the Windows Phone suite of mobile devices and even non Windows Phone users alike. The move is seen by many analysts as a late response to the sustained dominion of Android and iOS devices.
Well, some Windows Phone fans might be in the queue for the upcoming next-generation mobile operating system. Scheduled for launch in September, Windows 10 Mobile carries Microsoft’s hope of reviving its presence in the mobile world after the failure of Windows Phone 8.1 to outrank Android and iOS in adoption.
IDC’s latest report indicate that Microsoft’s Windows Phone division garnered only a little less than 3 percent in smartphone sales globally during the first quarter of this year. In contrast, Android accounted for nearly 80 percent and iOS a little more than 18 percent.
It also seems that Microsoft’s partners in bringing Windows Phone handsets to the market, namely HTC and Samsung, have come to realize that there is no hope for that mobile ecosystem – which never seized even higher than 5 percent of market share. Now the companies have singled out Android as their primary focus.
The timing of its release comes just a few days after Microsoft’s planned rollout of the Windows 10 OS for computers and tablets.
Microsoft’s renewed interest in mobile is still doubtful for some who see the Redmond giant as giving up on the race with Google and Apple. What analysts see as Microsoft’s real intent is in its Windows 10 push for PC users and those of other platforms.
Even after the release of Windows 10 Mobile, analysts still foresee a weak Microsoft standing in the mobile race against Android and iOS devices.
Where Microsoft relies upon for much of its mobile revenue now is in the availability of Skype and Office services to Android and iOS clients. Despite a weak Windows 10 Mobile prediction, there will still be hope for the software titan.
But some analysts have a differing view. According to them, Windows 10 Mobile will be able to capture a huge chunk of the market because it means offering Windows devices at lower costs but with the full package of software updates. The same tactic is used by Apple.
It is, to say the least, Microsoft’s way of targeting the low end smartphone market, which constitute the market’s larger representation. It’s where Microsoft should focus on, instead of the high end segment, analysts believe.
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