Surely, it’s safe to say that Windows 10 Mobile is on its last legs since Microsoft has not released a new handset in quite a while. Not surprising because the operating system isn’t getting a lot of support from third-party developers, and to make matters worse, Microsoft has chosen to support competing operating systems over its own.
It’s never a good feeling as a Microsoft fan to see new apps released by the company, heading to Android and iOS while Windows 10 Mobile users have to wait a few weeks to get the same app – if they are lucky. To make matters worse, the software giant tends to release several apps on competing platforms, but never on its own.
For those who haven’t been keeping up, 2018 is the year Microsoft will end support for Windows 10 Mobile, and no one is fully certain where the company will go from there.
How about full Windows 10 instead of Windows 10 Mobile?
Ever since Microsoft shipped its first mobile operating system to partners when Windows Mobile was one of the most advanced operating systems, the company has longed to have the best Windows experience on a small screen.
The best way to do that and to keep development costs down is to make it possible for Windows 10 to scale correctly to smaller screens. We believe this is Microsoft’s endgame, which became more evident after the announcement of Windows 10 on ARM.
Recent patents from Microsoft have shown that the company might not be fully out of the mobile market just yet. You see, I believe the next mobile device from the software giant should not be a smartphone, but a device that works as a computer with the ability to make phone calls.
Imagine a small pocketable ARM-based device that can do all the same things as full Windows computer that is also based on ARM? That could make for a hugely successful product, but it comes with its drawbacks.
A device like this would call for another reboot, and while necessary, it’s asking fans to purchase another smartphone. Bear in mind that Microsoft did this in the past with Windows Phone 8 after revealing no Windows Phone 7.x product will be upgradeable.
At the end of the day, things would only work out for the best, but only if Microsoft executes as intended. The company has been failing in that department for some time, but with the success of Windows 10, Azure, and its artificial intelligence services, there’s a sign that things are about to change.
