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A recent report by Ericsson[1] showed that 20% of current Windows Phone users want to stay within the platform for their next phone. Compared to ~80% on Android

A recent report by Ericsson[1] showed that 20% of current Windows Phone users want to stay within the platform for their next phone. Compared to ~80% on Android and iOS. That plus the small market share (~1-2%) makes it look pretty bleak (which is sad, I would have preferred more competition between mobile operating systems, e.g. with Firefox OS and Windows in the mix too). [1] http://www.ericsson.com/mobility-report http://www.ericsson.com/mobility-report

pavlov 11y ago
Staying on the platform is pretty difficult when there are no new phones to buy. Microsoft's new Lumia models are all basically "last year's $120 model, now for $100". Which is fine if you're in the precise market for a $100 phone, but then you also have lots of options from cheapo Android vendors... Windows Phone has long enjoyed a performance advantage on the low end, but that gap is closing. Meanwhile even the low-end market has come to demand a full range of 3rd party software, so Windows is losing there too. For high-end consumers, Microsoft doesn't have anything. The Lumia 950 is barely ok, but won't stop the bleeding. My last Lumia was a 1520 which I bought two years ago. It's nearly equivalent to the brand new 950XL -- and my old phone has a nicer design. (How did Microsoft mess that up? Don't they understand that when their fans have waited two years for a flagship phone, it needs to look attractive?) So I'm probably not getting another Windows phone ever again. The effort of returning to the platform would be too great at this point. (I had three different WP7/8 phones over the years, so I was fairly committed to it.)
- ableal 11y ago
  Not to mention that "the OneDrive team" has taken the initiative of kicking the WindowsPhone users in the teeth by withdrawing the 30 GB cloud storage offer, without even "grandfathering" existing users. It was one of the nicer aspects, not having to worry about backing up and moving around phone cam photos and videos. Gone, poof, and not a peep from anyone at Microsoft about the protests: https://onedrive.uservoice.com/forums/262982-onedrive/suggestions/10524099-give-us-back-our-storage https://onedrive.uservoice.com/forums/262982-onedrive/sugges... I suppose this does wonders for hardware sales. Just not the right kind.
- xiaoma 11y ago
  >So I'm probably not getting another Windows phone ever again. Life is long and product cycles are short. Growing up, I'd never have imagined I'd be using a Mac now.
- m1sta_ 11y ago
  > Windows Phone has long enjoyed a performance advantage If only they leveraged this to gain a material lead in battery life - or physical device sexiness - or both.
- m1sta_ 11y ago
  > How did Microsoft mess that up? Don't they understand [snip] it needs to look attractive? They definitely need a new head designer/artist. Same problem with the Surface series. Excellent engineering but not beautiful. I've never had an emotional response to the aesthetic of a Microsoft phone or tablet.
  - bhauer 11y ago
    That's odd. Many people who have a Surface, myself included, consider the design elegant, sharp, and very appealing. I certainly find my Surface Book to be considerably nicer looking than products from another major vendor that is extremely popular here at HN. Surface products with their magnesium finish and crisp angles have a sleek high-end look that doesn't employ design refrains I find unseemly such as tapering edges and glowing logos. To put it in your words, I had a strong emotional response to the design of the Surface Book and its unique hinge. It's not more of the same and it looks great. Many of us fans of Windows Phone have picked up Lumia 950s because they are what is available today, but they were not designed by Panos Panay's Surface team. We are clamoring for an upcoming rumored "Surface Phone" that may have the Surface design motif which so many of us prefer. So the 950 feels like a stop-gap that was released to satiate fans as Panay's team cooks up something more interesting. As a Windows Mobile user, I'd run Android apps if they were available, of course. But I don't really care if they're not. I have the apps I use (phone, messaging, maps, e-mail, browser, Twitter, news, calendar, Netflix, Kindle, photos, stocks, weather, music, podcasts) and one I'm starting to really enjoy: Continuum. So sure, running Android apps might allow me to enjoy the latest food delivery or clothing sharing service from Silicon Valley, but... meh. I'll pass.
    - GFischer 11y ago
      "people who have a Surface, myself included". That's a self-selecting group :) , so definitely not representative. I like the Surface, but it would be better to get people who don't own either a Surface or an Apple product to rate them.
      - bhauer 11y ago
deleted 11y ago
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pavlov 11y ago

Staying on the platform is pretty difficult when there are no new phones to buy. Microsoft's new Lumia models are all basically "last year's $120 model, now for $100". Which is fine if you're in the precise market for a $100 phone, but then you also have lots of options from cheapo Android vendors... Windows Phone has long enjoyed a performance advantage on the low end, but that gap is closing. Meanwhile even the low-end market has come to demand a full range of 3rd party software, so Windows is losing there too. For high-end consumers, Microsoft doesn't have anything. The Lumia 950 is barely ok, but won't stop the bleeding. My last Lumia was a 1520 which I bought two years ago. It's nearly equivalent to the brand new 950XL -- and my old phone has a nicer design. (How did Microsoft mess that up? Don't they understand that when their fans have waited two years for a flagship phone, it needs to look attractive?) So I'm probably not getting another Windows phone ever again. The effort of returning to the platform would be too great at this point. (I had three different WP7/8 phones over the years, so I was fairly committed to it.)

ableal 11y ago
Not to mention that "the OneDrive team" has taken the initiative of kicking the WindowsPhone users in the teeth by withdrawing the 30 GB cloud storage offer, without even "grandfathering" existing users. It was one of the nicer aspects, not having to worry about backing up and moving around phone cam photos and videos. Gone, poof, and not a peep from anyone at Microsoft about the protests: https://onedrive.uservoice.com/forums/262982-onedrive/suggestions/10524099-give-us-back-our-storage https://onedrive.uservoice.com/forums/262982-onedrive/sugges... I suppose this does wonders for hardware sales. Just not the right kind.
xiaoma 11y ago
>So I'm probably not getting another Windows phone ever again. Life is long and product cycles are short. Growing up, I'd never have imagined I'd be using a Mac now.
m1sta_ 11y ago
> Windows Phone has long enjoyed a performance advantage If only they leveraged this to gain a material lead in battery life - or physical device sexiness - or both.
m1sta_ 11y ago
> How did Microsoft mess that up? Don't they understand [snip] it needs to look attractive? They definitely need a new head designer/artist. Same problem with the Surface series. Excellent engineering but not beautiful. I've never had an emotional response to the aesthetic of a Microsoft phone or tablet.
- bhauer 11y ago
  That's odd. Many people who have a Surface, myself included, consider the design elegant, sharp, and very appealing. I certainly find my Surface Book to be considerably nicer looking than products from another major vendor that is extremely popular here at HN. Surface products with their magnesium finish and crisp angles have a sleek high-end look that doesn't employ design refrains I find unseemly such as tapering edges and glowing logos. To put it in your words, I had a strong emotional response to the design of the Surface Book and its unique hinge. It's not more of the same and it looks great. Many of us fans of Windows Phone have picked up Lumia 950s because they are what is available today, but they were not designed by Panos Panay's Surface team. We are clamoring for an upcoming rumored "Surface Phone" that may have the Surface design motif which so many of us prefer. So the 950 feels like a stop-gap that was released to satiate fans as Panay's team cooks up something more interesting. As a Windows Mobile user, I'd run Android apps if they were available, of course. But I don't really care if they're not. I have the apps I use (phone, messaging, maps, e-mail, browser, Twitter, news, calendar, Netflix, Kindle, photos, stocks, weather, music, podcasts) and one I'm starting to really enjoy: Continuum. So sure, running Android apps might allow me to enjoy the latest food delivery or clothing sharing service from Silicon Valley, but... meh. I'll pass.
  - GFischer 11y ago
    "people who have a Surface, myself included". That's a self-selecting group :) , so definitely not representative. I like the Surface, but it would be better to get people who don't own either a Surface or an Apple product to rate them.
    - bhauer 11y ago

deleted 11y ago

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