We have all seen Microsoft struggle in the mobile phone market, and fans have been nothing but supportive every time a premium Microsoft-labeled or Windows-running phone gets launched. However, it looks like things simply fail to fall into place for Microsoft. Yes, Windows Phones are more suited to the business market. However, to compete with iOS and Android, Microsoft needs to be embraced by the larger masses as well. With the failure of Lumia becoming more and more apparent, we can all agree that Microsoft's last hope in the mobile phone division is the alleged Surface Phone.
Surface Phone To Save Microsoft's Dying Smartphone Division
It seems like no matter how premium Microsoft makes its smartphone, it still cannot beat its immediate competitions. The Lumia 950 and 950 XL are both superb phones. They are even as powerful as the bigger tablets on the market. However, these phones weren't enough to save the Lumia line. Clearly, it's not the powerful internals that would save Microsoft's smartphone line and the company needs to figure out the X-factor necessary to beat the competitions. We can only hope that the Surface Phone is not just a simple reiteration of the Lumia 950 XL, and Microsoft actually targets the right flaws in developing the next phone.
Surface Phone Expectations
If Microsoft is indeed pursuing a Surface Phone launch next year, then it should be made more useful to a larger audience. We've all known the company to be the best in computing. The unbeatable success of the Windows OS makes this more clearer. However, when it comes to mobile phones, everyone can agree that Windows mobile isn't for everyone. The people who can make use of Microsoft's premium phones largely belong to the business sector.
With that said, the Surface Phone should be targeted to a bigger scope of users. To do that, it's quite obvious that the company needs to do something about their phones' apps. This might be a minor factor and this might not represent the entirety of the problem. However, Windows Phone users cannot deny the fact that Windows apps are very limited. If the same problem occurs in the Surface Phone, then its safe to say that the said phone will once again follow the footsteps of the Lumia phones.
Surface Phone Could Also Be A Big Success
There are a number of reasons why the Surface Phone could also be a success. One of which is the Surface team's current success. It's undeniable that the Surface division hit it big with the release of the Surface Pro 4 and the Surface Book. This clearly suggests that the team is doing something right. This could lead us to assume that they are also capable of figuring out how to make the Surface Phone work in favor of Microsoft. It's worth mentioning that the Surface division saw a 9 percent increase in revenue in Q4 FY16, Windows Central. Will Microsoft also be able to create a success story out of the Surface Phone? We hope so.
Microsoft's Last Chance At The Mobile Phone Market
There are a few ways for the Surface Phone to save Microsoft's name in the industry of mobile phones. However, being able to download all the popular apps is probably the most important of them all. When we say popular, we mean apps that Android and iOS users deem relevant. This won't only make the Surface Phone become a serious option for the masses, this would also make the Windows Mobile OS more embraced by the people. Imagine a high-end operating system running all the apps that you want. Wouldn't it be perfect? Needless to say, it's hard to predict how Microsoft can do this with the Surface Phone.
As what Forbes has said, the world is slowly moving away from Windows Phones. Despite the fact that every technologically-inclined person knows the Windows OS by heart, the idea of using a Windows phone has already become a foreign concept. If Microsoft once again fails with its re-entry in the smartphone market with the Surface Phone, then accepting defeat could be the next step in line. The company is unbeatable when it comes to computing. However, if they still can't make things perfect for the Surface Phone, it's safe to assume that the company should start putting its focus on PCs and leave the smartphones to its competitors. Unless of course, if they are willing to shift to Android smartphones, then that would be an entirely different story.
