Mobile World Congress has always been one of the biggest platforms for the smartphone manufacturers to unveil their wares. In fact, Samsung has been making it a point to launch their flagships every year at MWC. Along with all the high profile launches most of the companies have also introduced smartphones in Windows flavor.
Here is what Terry Myerson, Executive Vice President, Windows and Devices Group,
“With new phones, 2-in-1s, and notebooks, we’re delighted to see the ecosystem continuing to embrace Windows 10. Our commitment to reinvent device categories remains strong through features like Continuum, Cortana and Windows Hello. Our partners are embracing these technologies in innovative ways, delivering the most productive and secure experiences across a wide variety of devices.”
Below are some of the Windows 10 devices in MWC,
1. HP Elite x3– With a docking station and Continuum support the Elite x3 takes the Windows ecosystem to the next level. Adding to that the Elite x3 also heralds with the Windows Hello biometrics which would unlock the device with enterprise-grade security.
2. VAIO Phone Biz-VAIO’s latest Windows 10 phone aims at bringing international network support without actually opting for a SIM card. This would make the Biz an ideal device especially for those who are always on the move. The icing on the cake is that even the Biz comes with a dedicated Continuum support.
3. ALCATEL Plus 10– Alcatels new hybrid offers a 4G LTE keyboard which can also double up as a Wi-Fi Hotspot for up to 15 devices. The 10-inch device sports front and rear facing cameras and comes with the usual bevy of connectivity ports.
4. Lumia 650- The 650 holds the title for the thinnest phones from Microsoft and it comes clad in a premium design. The Lumia 650 will come baked with most of the Windows applications including the Microsoft Office apps and also built in security and encryption for data safeguarding.
5. Huawei Matebook- Huawei Matebook is the company’s latest attempt in readying a hybrid laptop which have been kind of most sought after, thanks to the Microsoft Surface Book and the iPad Pro. MateBook not only uses Windows Hello to unlock the device but it also comes with a MatePen Stylus and a fingerprint reader.
6. Getac RX10- The options are limited if you are on a lookout for a rugged Windows 10 Laptop and the search will become more painful especially if you are on a lookout for a tablet aimed at serving the healthcare industry. The Getac RX 10 is glove sensitive and it comes with hot swappable battery design that will allow users to change batteries without shutting down the machine.
7. Alcatel Fierce XL: This new device from Alcatel comes with all the Windows application and proves to be a great value for money.
8. Trinity Nuans NEO- The Nuans NEO is one of the lesser known device that comes with an interchangeable two tone backplates and on the imaging front it sports a 13-Megapixel primary sensor and a 5-Megapixel secondary camera.
The list of devices doesn’t just stop here and you can visit this link for more Windows 10 Powered devices released in the MWC.
The HP Elite X3 is a great phone in idea and looks, but Microsoft Windows 10 on this device is useless in comparison to Android. I have bought the Elite X3 in exchange for the Samsung Note 7. I had a Windows phone a few years ago now when I owned a Nokia and it was a bad operating system then. I thought after all these years Microsoft would have got its act together, but unbelievably they have not. Their App Store is just as bad as its always been, as nobody seems to produce anything useful for it. Most of the Apps it offers are not that good. Windows 10 Mobile is a poor show from Microsoft so far, I hear they have an update in November, so I am hoping they will have got their act together. HP have done an amazing job with this phone and its quality is amazing, its such a shame they chose Windows rather than Android as the OS. Come on Microsoft, get your act together and prove me wrong, as I have a £700 phone that seems a total waste of money so far.
From everything I’ve read, the X3 looks like an awesome phone, as well as being the only viable replacement candidate, for my beloved Nokia 1520. If I had a spare $700, I’d own an X3 now.
What specifically are the problems you’re experiencing? I (family members incl.) currently have W10, running on three phones and a tablet. 2 Nokia 640XLs. my 1520 and a Surface 3. While it hasn’t been without problems, I haven’t experienced anywhere near the poor performance you report.
As for apps, I’m actually surprised how many there are, considering MS’s share of the phone market (or lack thereof). The included MS Mobile Office tools alone are a great value, in my opinion. In any case, apps the store has or doesn’t have, isn’t a secret and can be pretty easily researched, prior to purchasing.
A big plus for me, being a software developer, is the relative ease, in which I can create mobile apps and not necessarily for the purpose of resale. I can think of no better development tools than VS 20xx.
Having said all of that, I’m not blind either. I am as PO’d as anyone at MS, for snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. Their handling of the mobile arena, over the past 20 some years, has been deplorable and truly confounding. In the past, I would have said, don’t bet against MS. However, I really don’t know what the mobile strategy looks like, under a Nadella MS. The only thing they seem to be able to say, with any consistency, is “The Cloud”. I understand the revenue implications of the Cloud but don’t forsake everything else, in the meantime.
The fact that the App Store is so redundant of App’s is the reason they have such a poor share of the market. Doesn’t MS realise that the purpose of having a phone that is bound by the use of Apps is to make sure it has an abundance of them available. Even Ebay have pulled their App from the store. HSBC don’t provide an App for Windows Phone, but they do for Android and for Apple. I can only imagine MS have serious security issues with their OS if these companies are not supplying an App.
I am also an experienced coder and I am looking into developing some of my own Apps, but MS need to push hard to get these major companies to start producing Apps for their store.
As for HP and their beautiful Elite X3, well they have made a fantastic phone and it would have sold like wild fire if it was running Android. MS seem to be struggling to see the trees for the leaves, lets hope that Autumn will clear that issue up and they will start the New Year with something more to offer than they have now.
I don’t think the lack of apps has anything to do with security. The platform is solid, as is apparent from Windows 10 on other devices.
What is truly the reason for the lack of apps is the market share of Windows mobile devices compared to just about anything. Developers simply do not want to put their time and energy into developing apps for a platform where they won’t make (enough) money on.
This, of course, causes the chicken and egg discussion. My stand on this, and I have an extremely easy position on this, as I don’t develop, is to throw more money and incentives to the developers to grow the app store. And this has to start with the big boys before the really good smaller guys join in.
By the way, giving people more device choices (from different vendors) will also help.
I have seen that people are having a little success in directly installing Android Apps onto a Window’s phone. The fact that the Elite X3 uses a Snapdragon 821 processor which is used by most Android phones will help in this process. But Microsoft should look at having a facility to directly install and run Android Apps. Better still, if they made it possibly to run Java code on Windows Phone. Its probably too much of a pain to re-write the source for C#.
Windows is great for what it was primarily built, but its not really so great on a phone as its too limited in its current form. They need to go back and come up with something more radically different from what they have now, as people see Windows and think “Boring!” Its just not got that zing that Android offers. When you think of Microsoft you are expecting something amazing and their phone’s OS is unfortunately not amazing in any shape or form. But I live in hope that updates may one day come up with all that we expect from this company.