It may not have been the longest life, it may not have even been the most significant life, but after almost seven years on the market the Windows Phone is officially about to die. There will be some who mourn its death, there will be others who barely bat an eyelid. The Windows Phone is due to be phased out from late June and the end of the fiscal year, with now the best time to look back at its relatively short life.
From Birth to Death
Microsoft arrived on the mobile scene relatively late, despite making developments into the market from the early 2000s. However, it wasn't until November 2010 when the Windows Phone 7 was finally launched in the USA and went on sale to the general public. Given the success of Apple's iPhone in the preceding years and Samsung's Galaxy devices, the Windows Phone was introduced to rival but also enjoy success of the back of theirs.
In 2011 things looked up when Microsoft partnered with Nokia, announcing that Windows Phone would become the main smartphone operating system for Nokia. This gave them more devices to increase the competition with Android and iOS. In total there were three versions of the Windows Phone released before it switched to the now final Windows 10 Mobile.
What Happened?
Essentially, the Windows Phone failed to sell anywhere near as many devices as its competitors, before revenue from the phone dropped drastically. In total, Microsoft and Nokia sold 110 million Windows Phones. Across the same period 4.5 billion iOS and Android devices were bought. The difference in numbers is staggering and makes it clear how far off they were from their dream of challenging, let alone beating, those rivals.
There was a brief period in 2015 when it looked like a decent competitor, but with sales falling and revenue dropping by $730 million from one quarter, it was dead. So much so that Microsoft CFO Amy Hood even commented that: "there was no material phone revenue this quarter."
Are Microsoft Worried?
Not really. Microsoft is a massive company and the end of the Windows Phone won't be damaging its shares for traders using brokers that much. It operates in many different fields and the Windows Phone was nowhere near its main product. Plus, it's unlikely to do much damage to the brand's image, with plenty of other pieces of technology and software in its roster. Cloud services for businesses, laptops, tablets and many others in its product range ensure Microsoft's shareholders won't be losing too much sleep over the Windows Phone's death.
Future for Surface
One area the Windows Phone's decline could impact is for the Surface product division. Many thought that a Surface phone may take over, as Surface Phone has been patented, but given the death of the Windows Phone that appears less likely now. Instead, the future of its products such as the Surface Pro are now a little less certain. Lessons may be learnt from this experience, but whether that sees Surface devices phased out or improved remains to be seen.
The Windows Phone started out with all the best intentions of challenging the dominant iOS and Android smartphones, but in the end it just couldn't compete.
If anyone who has used the Galaxy S8 was asked to point out a single flaw in the S8's design, it would be the fingerprint scanner's placement. Of course the Bixby button could be up for argument as well, but it will more likely lose to that awkwardly placed sensor by far. If you have been following us, then you probably already know that the design choice in this regard wasn't really a "choice" for Samsung. After putting in the necessary money into developing a fingerprint scanning tech that could be placed below the glass, Samsung found that it wouldn't be ready before the beginning of the Galaxy S8's mass production process. They literally had no space left at this point to implement the fingerprint scanner, except where you see it right now.
Sadly enough, it seems that the Note 8 will not be able to sport the tech either as Samsung and even Apple is facing some serious issues with implementing the technology into their respective upcoming flagship smartphones. In the words of a Samsung representative (according to the report), "We made every effort to install a display-integrated fingerprint sensor on Galaxy Note 8, but we decided not to install it on this strategic phone due to various technical limitations such as security." Samsung will continue to work with CrucialTec and others in the field to develop and integrate the technology, but it doesn't seem like something which could happen before the Galaxy Note 8 is released.
Saikat Kar (tech-enthusiast)
A Samsung employee who is only known by his surname "Lee" at the moment, apparently was in a bad gambling debt which amounted to somewhere around $800,000! Just as any other logical person would handle a debt of that size, he decided to steal 8,474 Samsung mobile phones (which are worth a total of $711,000) from Samsung's head office in Suwon, Gyeonggi. If you have not caught on to my sarcasm yet, then let me affirm that it is indeed sarcasm and stealing from your employer or anyone else is definitely not the logical solution to any problem!
The disabled man had apparently started stealing test units meant for developers from way back in the December of 2014. In fact his operation was active till November last year; a timeframe in which he managed to steal an astounding 8,474 Samsung test units. Lee used to pawn these stolen smartphones via a used phone reseller and before long, these handsets, which were never even meant to be on sale, were being sold and used in Vietnam. As Samsung caught a whiff of the con job going on here, the matter was reported to the police. After months of investigation, Lee has finally been found and charged. Although he is clearly a reckless gambler and a thief of massive proportions, one cannot help but be amazed at the efficiency with he had run the con job for all these years without ever being caught once.
Saikat Kar (tech-enthusiast)
If you want to make 2017 the year you start engaging with the financial markets to try and get more from your capital, then your Android phone or tablet can become one of the most helpful tools in your trading arsenal. By taking advantage of good trading related apps, you can set your phone up as a hub for all your trading activity, allowing you to access your portfolio, ETF activity, share index information and everything else you need on the go.
Here are three great apps to help you become an effective mobile trader:
IG Trading
The first thing you need is a trading environment where you can hold your account and actually do your trading. IG's offering is a feature rich app that gives you speedy access to pricing, account information, and most importantly, trading. The app can also help you see various forms of data analysis that can help you plan your moves. The app is free if you have an account with IG, and you can either set this up through the app itself or on their website.
Bloomberg+
An effective trader needs a good source of financial news that is laser targeted to the parts of the market that are most important to them. As you start trading you'll begin to see just how much you value having fast access to business and economic news, as well as expert opinions and analysis. The Bloomberg+ app gives you fast access to the latest global finance news, and means you can avoid having to work through your phone's browser when you need the latest information and breaking price news fast.
Stocktwits
Social media can be a great source of insights, but rather than create a whole new Twitter profile just to collect the stock information you want, or have it fill up your usual news feed, you can install Stocktwits - which is effectively 'Twitter for traders'. You can see insights, ideas, tips and strategies from other traders in real time tweet style format, and also share your own thoughts and ask questions.
Arming yourself with the right sources of insights and news, along with the tools to actually get your trading done, means you can work effectively and efficiently from your phone, whether you are actively making trades or researching a potential trade from both mainstream news sources and social media. With these three apps, you are ready to trade intelligently wherever you are!
Brand new firmware updates for all your Samsung smartphones and tablets are here once again. Use Odin3 to manually flash them onto your Samsung smartphone after taking a look at this tutorial.
Our Mission is Keeping you updated with Latest Android News and Updates as it Happens!
© 2023 YouMobile Inc. All rights reserved