4 ms·

Ask HN: Is Windows 10 Mobile dead?

I'm in the market for a new mid- to low-range phone, like a Lumia 640, but I've been wondering whether to even buy Windows phones or to use Android. I currently have an Android phone but have used Windows in the past and was satisfied. The main drive for me to buy a Windows phone is that they're much smoother and faster compared to Android phones of the same price. I do not want to buy a Chinese no-name phone because they send the data to servers of the company or the government, be it either Chinese or whatever, I'm not comfortable with doing that.* And I don't care about custom ROMs, because at that low price point nobody even bothers making a custom ROM like Lineage OS or whatever, because the phones are designed to be disposable and used only for 2 years and most models are custom to a country, for example I have a Tesla Smartphone 3.2 Lite, which is made by Tesla (which infringes on Tesla Motors' trademark for the name) in Serbia for the Serbian market, and is actually a re-branded Ulefone U007 Pro, and it sends data to servers in China, and has some shady apps installed. In the past, I've had the Nokia Lumia 520 and 720 phones, and I liked the 720, it's a great phone and all but I broke the USB charger off the motherboard in a fall and the repair was the cost of a new 520, and being me, I wanted a new shiny thing even thought it was slower. The 520 was unremarkable in every way and I kept it for some time then selling it for a similar price that I bought it for. Also, of Android phones, I've had a Huawei Ascend y210, which I hated, Prestigio Muze C3, which I liked, and my first phone was Alcatel OT-990 in 2011. Help me make a right choice. * - (to clarify, I say I don't want to buy a No-Name Android phone which is faster than the branded Microsoft Lumia yet costs the same)

ocdtrekkie 10y ago
As a very happy Windows 10 Mobile user presently... yes, it is unfortunately kind of dead. Microsoft is 90% of the Windows Mobile market, and has stopped making new devices for the time being. I find this unfortunate because my two year old Windows Mobile device can run circles around any Android device sold today performance-wise, and my phone didn't have 700 security vulnerabilities last year. I think there's still a ton of potential in the Windows Mobile platform, but until Microsoft picks a direction and starts pushing it again, you may be disappointed if you expect more than a basic phone experience. I don't need or want a lot of extraneous apps on my phone, so it still works great for me.
- WorldMaker 10y ago
  « until Microsoft picks a direction and starts pushing it again » Hope springs eternal, and as a fan, I do hope that "starts pushing it again" happens sooner rather than later. I remember at the 950 announcement that there seemed to be rumors that big things would start to happen in the Redstone timeline of Windows releases. The Anniversary Update (Redstone 1) did a few small things, but the rumors persisted that the big things were pushed Redstone 2. Since the Creators Update (Redstone 2) was announced, it doesn't look like there is much for mobile in that upcoming release(though the addition of folders to the Start Menu on the desktop implies possibly more convergence between the Start Menus on desktop/mobile). The rumors continue to be persistent and that "this time for sure" we might see big things finally in Redstone 3... (Timing wise, that does seem to coincide with when people think we can anticipate the x86 emulation on Qualcomm's ARM to be ready, which is a big part of "Surface Phone" rumors right now.) I have optimism that HP's exploration of the hardware is a sign we might see some new interest in the platform, at least in the enterprise-managed space. (Which may be a space that starts growing again soon now that the carrier subsidies on hand sets are at their lowest since the original iPhone was released.) I still think the UWP is doing good work to fill the "app gap" because there is at least some small incentive to support phone users "for free" when building a desktop (or Xbox or HoloLens) app.
  - ocdtrekkie 10y ago
    I have indeed been surprised to find some great new UWP apps lately that work on mobile. The biggest mistake with the HP Elite x3, is that someone thought it was okay to make a phone to cater to the enterprise space and not support Verizon. I've literally never worked anywhere that didn't use Verizon for their corporate phones, and it locks me out of buying one personally too.
    - WorldMaker 10y ago
      A plausible sounding explanation I heard is that it was Verizon itself blocking Windows 10 from their network (for some combination of "security" and "revenge" motives, depending on which rumor source you read), so there was little point selling hardware to support it if Verizon would immediately block SIM cards they found installed in Windows devices. I don't know how much of that is rumor and how much is reality, but given the very poor sales of the last Windows phone Verizon tried to sell, I think the rumors sound quite plausible.
Tomte 10y ago
Alas, yes, it is. Windows Phone was a superior phone OS in many ways (even 8), but at the same time it was infuriating. Not only the lack of some well-known apps, but even more so Microsoft's lacklustre commitment.
coreyp_1 10y ago
I wish there were. I would buy a Windows 10 phone at this very second if I could get it with CDMA. I am unaware of any Windows 10 CDMA phone, from a trustworthy source or otherwise. The HP Elite x3 (http://www.gsmarena.com/hp_elite_x3-7954.php http://www.gsmarena.com/hp_elite_x3-7954.php) was released 6 months ago and is exactly what I want, except that it is only available with GSM. This phone has AMAZING potential, but they are firmly focusing on the business market as well as AT&T's GSM networks (I assume). I refuse to own an Apple product, for various reasons. I am sick of the Android ecosystem; I can't get a timely update from Samsung, and if I put a custom ROM on it (with who-knows-what software bundled with it), some essential features just don't work. I would pay someone for a safe, functional, and timely Android update, but I don't see that as an option at all. I don't want to buy another $600-700 phone when I can't trust the OS will be patched in a timely manner. PERIOD. GIVE ME A CDMA WINDOWS 10 PHONE, & I WILL BUY IT AND LOVE IT! ARE YOU LISTENING, MICROSOFT?!?
WorldMaker 10y ago
I don't thing Windows 10 on mobile is dead, but it definitely seems dormant/sleeping right now. Consumer-facing hardware especially seems to be in a lull. I think you might have a harder time right now finding a Windows 10 device in the price point that would make you happy. That saying, if you did find one in that price point, I'm not sure there's a good reason not to buy the Windows phone if you like the ecosystem better than Android.

ocdtrekkie 10y ago

As a very happy Windows 10 Mobile user presently... yes, it is unfortunately kind of dead. Microsoft is 90% of the Windows Mobile market, and has stopped making new devices for the time being. I find this unfortunate because my two year old Windows Mobile device can run circles around any Android device sold today performance-wise, and my phone didn't have 700 security vulnerabilities last year. I think there's still a ton of potential in the Windows Mobile platform, but until Microsoft picks a direction and starts pushing it again, you may be disappointed if you expect more than a basic phone experience. I don't need or want a lot of extraneous apps on my phone, so it still works great for me.

WorldMaker 10y ago
« until Microsoft picks a direction and starts pushing it again » Hope springs eternal, and as a fan, I do hope that "starts pushing it again" happens sooner rather than later. I remember at the 950 announcement that there seemed to be rumors that big things would start to happen in the Redstone timeline of Windows releases. The Anniversary Update (Redstone 1) did a few small things, but the rumors persisted that the big things were pushed Redstone 2. Since the Creators Update (Redstone 2) was announced, it doesn't look like there is much for mobile in that upcoming release(though the addition of folders to the Start Menu on the desktop implies possibly more convergence between the Start Menus on desktop/mobile). The rumors continue to be persistent and that "this time for sure" we might see big things finally in Redstone 3... (Timing wise, that does seem to coincide with when people think we can anticipate the x86 emulation on Qualcomm's ARM to be ready, which is a big part of "Surface Phone" rumors right now.) I have optimism that HP's exploration of the hardware is a sign we might see some new interest in the platform, at least in the enterprise-managed space. (Which may be a space that starts growing again soon now that the carrier subsidies on hand sets are at their lowest since the original iPhone was released.) I still think the UWP is doing good work to fill the "app gap" because there is at least some small incentive to support phone users "for free" when building a desktop (or Xbox or HoloLens) app.
- ocdtrekkie 10y ago
  I have indeed been surprised to find some great new UWP apps lately that work on mobile. The biggest mistake with the HP Elite x3, is that someone thought it was okay to make a phone to cater to the enterprise space and not support Verizon. I've literally never worked anywhere that didn't use Verizon for their corporate phones, and it locks me out of buying one personally too.
  - WorldMaker 10y ago
    A plausible sounding explanation I heard is that it was Verizon itself blocking Windows 10 from their network (for some combination of "security" and "revenge" motives, depending on which rumor source you read), so there was little point selling hardware to support it if Verizon would immediately block SIM cards they found installed in Windows devices. I don't know how much of that is rumor and how much is reality, but given the very poor sales of the last Windows phone Verizon tried to sell, I think the rumors sound quite plausible.

Tomte 10y ago

Alas, yes, it is. Windows Phone was a superior phone OS in many ways (even 8), but at the same time it was infuriating. Not only the lack of some well-known apps, but even more so Microsoft's lacklustre commitment.

coreyp_1 10y ago

I wish there were. I would buy a Windows 10 phone at this very second if I could get it with CDMA. I am unaware of any Windows 10 CDMA phone, from a trustworthy source or otherwise. The HP Elite x3 (http://www.gsmarena.com/hp_elite_x3-7954.php http://www.gsmarena.com/hp_elite_x3-7954.php) was released 6 months ago and is exactly what I want, except that it is only available with GSM. This phone has AMAZING potential, but they are firmly focusing on the business market as well as AT&T's GSM networks (I assume). I refuse to own an Apple product, for various reasons. I am sick of the Android ecosystem; I can't get a timely update from Samsung, and if I put a custom ROM on it (with who-knows-what software bundled with it), some essential features just don't work. I would pay someone for a safe, functional, and timely Android update, but I don't see that as an option at all. I don't want to buy another $600-700 phone when I can't trust the OS will be patched in a timely manner. PERIOD. GIVE ME A CDMA WINDOWS 10 PHONE, & I WILL BUY IT AND LOVE IT! ARE YOU LISTENING, MICROSOFT?!?

WorldMaker 10y ago

I don't thing Windows 10 on mobile is dead, but it definitely seems dormant/sleeping right now. Consumer-facing hardware especially seems to be in a lull. I think you might have a harder time right now finding a Windows 10 device in the price point that would make you happy. That saying, if you did find one in that price point, I'm not sure there's a good reason not to buy the Windows phone if you like the ecosystem better than Android.