Windows Phone’s challenges

• Though shipments area unit growing, market share is truly falling, as a result of iOS and humanoid shipments area unit growing additional quickly. As such, even if Windows Phone must be catching up, it’s truly falling behind. Shipments additionally aren’t growing chop-chop and even suffered a quick dip recently.

• There continues to be a vicious circle between the dearth of developer attractiveness and also the lack of user attractiveness, with no obvious thanks to break it. Despite all the position coverage of the smaller range of apps on Windows Phone (and Microsoft’s frequent defense to such charges on the premise of quality), Windows Phone encompasses a serious quality moreover as amount drawback.

• Windows Phone is turning into, progressively, a coffee finish software package. I cite exclusive AdDuplex, Counterpoint and Kantar Worldpanel knowledge that shows additional and additional of Windows Phone sales area unit within the lower cost brackets. this can be damaging as a result of Windows Phone currently exhibits each abundant smaller scale than either humanoid or iOS and a base that’s less seemingly to pay on apps than iOS, effort it while not abundant attractiveness for developers.

Solutions for obtaining Windows Phone going once more

The good news all told this can be Microsoft seems to acknowledge the challenges and is actively seeking to deal with them. However, the challenge is that several of the items it’s doing area unit either getting to create very little distinction and, in some cases, could even be harmful. I’ve talked here regarding the mistakes it risks creating with Windows ten in an attempt to offer Windows Phone a lift, however the recent doubling down on the low finish is another worrying sign. Microsoft instead wants to:

 

 

• Invest in making and promoting a real flagship for the platform. Windows Phone has ne'er had one flagship to rival the iPhone, the Galaxy S5 or comparable phones from different vendors and it badly wants one. Given Microsoft Mobile’s dominance of Windows Phone, this phone must be a Lumia, it must be additional competitive, and it must be sold  across carriers, with none of the market-limiting exclusives of the past. Microsoft will afford to promote the device heavily on its own. Unless Windows Phone claims a stake at the high finish of the market, it risks turning into solely a coffee finish carrier.

• Establish clearer differentiators for Windows Phone as a platform, particularly among high finish users. Microsoft has struggled from the start to articulate why Windows Phone is best than the 2 established platforms for thought users, and it’s no nearer nowadays to determining what that's. the solution seemingly is in ties to Microsoft services, photography and different areas, however even Microsoft doesn’t extremely appear to understand, and this must amendment.  

• Do additional to bridge “the app gap” which starts with recognition that merely paying for the initial port of associate degree app to Windows Phone isn’t enough. this can be the one greatest issue holding the platform back nowadays and, unless Microsoft fixes it, it'll ne'er attract vital numbers of high finish users.  

Prospects for Windows Phone

Can all this flip Windows Phone around? i believe there area unit smart precedents in Xbox and Microsoft’s on-line Services division to recommend Microsoft are going to be willing to stay with the platform for the long-standing time, as it struggles within the short to medium term. Strategically, Microsoft wants a mobile platform that serves over simply a skinny slice of the market, as a result of its 2 major competitors – Apple and Google – own the opposite 2 platforms and each area unit reinforcing their internal system, which is able to injury Microsoft’s ability to participate with cross-platform services alone. additionally, Microsoft’s single biggest advantage is its existing base in PCs, however as that base stagnates and falls even any behind smartphones in total size, mobile solely becomes ever additional vital for Microsoft. however vital changes area unit needed if the platform is to succeed and Microsoft’s current strategy doesn’t seem to air the correct path.