Yesterday Microsoft presented Windows Phone 8, the latest version of its smartphone operating system, seen by many as the company's last chance to establish itself on a mobile OS market dominated by Android and iOS.
Despite a number of innovations and its relatively high standing among critics, Windows Phone as it currently exists in 7.5 form has failed to find a broad popular base for Microsoft on the smartphone OS market. The system's share has been growing, modestly (Redmond holds just 3% of the market share, according to Gartner), but has struggled to take off in any significant sense. Now Windows Phone 8 is an OS on a mission: to win back the market share that Microsoft lost to Google and Apple these past years.
Based on the same kernel as Windows 8, which Microsoft launched last week, WP8 is the other link in the chain of the firm's rebound strategy. The idea behind the new releases is to offer users a single system for all their screens—PC, smartphone and tablet. But the idea is also to win over developers, for whom apps are bread and butter, by creating multiple systems on which their programmes can run and thereby gain access to a larger audience. Windows Store, which will be shouldering the weight of the entire Windows Phone community, will need to fill its shelves quickly if it wants to compete with the 700,000 apps being sold at Apple's App Store.
Microsoft has brought the concept of cross-functionality all the way home by simultaneously launching the Windows Phone app, a programme that syncs user content (photos, movies, music...) between Windows 8, Windows RT and Windows Phone 8, effectively picking up where Zune left off. Zune will still be available for Windows Phone 7.5.
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Despite a number of innovations and its relatively high standing among critics, Windows Phone as it currently exists in 7.5 form has failed to find a broad popular base for Microsoft on the smartphone OS market. The system's share has been growing, modestly (Redmond holds just 3% of the market share, according to Gartner), but has struggled to take off in any significant sense. Now Windows Phone 8 is an OS on a mission: to win back the market share that Microsoft lost to Google and Apple these past years.
Based on the same kernel as Windows 8, which Microsoft launched last week, WP8 is the other link in the chain of the firm's rebound strategy. The idea behind the new releases is to offer users a single system for all their screens—PC, smartphone and tablet. But the idea is also to win over developers, for whom apps are bread and butter, by creating multiple systems on which their programmes can run and thereby gain access to a larger audience. Windows Store, which will be shouldering the weight of the entire Windows Phone community, will need to fill its shelves quickly if it wants to compete with the 700,000 apps being sold at Apple's App Store.
Five New Smartphones
Then there are the phone brands. Nokia, Microsoft's privileged partner for the past year, has already presented new mobiles designed specifically for WP8, the Lumia 920 and Lumia 820. Samsung is expected to release the Ativ S and HTC has announced the 8X and 8S. That makes no fewer than five smartphones coming out soon after the operating system was inaugurated (although when exactly we don't know). Huawei should be getting into the mix as well with its upcoming Ascend W1.Microsoft has brought the concept of cross-functionality all the way home by simultaneously launching the Windows Phone app, a programme that syncs user content (photos, movies, music...) between Windows 8, Windows RT and Windows Phone 8, effectively picking up where Zune left off. Zune will still be available for Windows Phone 7.5.
> Browse our smartphone and mobile reviews
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