Microsoft’s newest device could change your mind about their mobile OS.
The majority of the world uses Windows to navigate their PC, but only 2.5% of mobile consumers rely on Microsoft to power their smartphones.
And I don’t blame them.
Android and iOS mobile devices always seem to have better apps, accessories, and even advertising campaigns. Windows phones, on the other hand, have always lacked in all three departments. It’s not that Microsoft mobile products are bad; they just haven’t been as good as the competition.
Most of Microsoft’s failure to make an impact in the mobile industry can be attributed to the Windows Phone OS. The lack of available apps is a huge problem and many would-be owners of a Microsoft device go with something else solely based on this reason. But if recent rumors prove to be true, Microsoft may have created one of the best mobile devices ever, thanks to a relatively new piece of technology: The smartwatch.
Smartwatches Are the Future of Mobile
Smartwatches have been met with a lot of skepticism and for many reasons. As Christopher Mims from QZ pointed out in an article last year, among the concerns are:
- Smartwatches are going to be big. As in physically large.
- Insufficient battery life is killing the smartwatch dream.
- Smartwatches could be the next netbooks—in other words, a huge flop.
These are all valid apprehensions that may have sounded true in 2013, but one look at the smartwatches of today proves them all wrong. Smartwatches aren’t only better than ever, they’re still improving. And it seems like Microsoft has been working hard on their own design while learning a thing or two from the Android wearables that currently dominate the marketplace.
Microsoft recently patented this “wearable personal information system” — is it their new smartwatch?
According to a recent report from Forbes, Microsoft will be launching a smartwatch within the next few weeks and just in time for the holiday season. But unlike its counterparts, Microsoft’s device will be different in two major ways.
- The battery life will last twice as long as current smartwatches (Moto 360/Galaxy Gear).
- It will be cross-compatible with Android and iOS applications.
While it’s unknown what other features will separate Microsoft’s smartwatch from the competition, it is clearly the right direction for the company to finally make a splash in the mobile arena. It may also be a good indicator that future Microsoft devices won’t be completely powered by Windows.
One Product Family, One Platform, One Store, Three Operating Systems
When Microsoft unveiled Windows 10 earlier this month, the company emphasized how they wanted Windows to be consistent across all devices. Whether it’s your smartphone, tablet, laptop, desktop, or Xbox, Windows 10 will have a converged application platform and a unified app store. But what Microsoft didn’t tell us is how their software will interact with other devices.
One of the first things Satya Nadella did when he took the helm of Microsoft was emphasize how he wanted the company’s offerings available across all devices. Unlike his predecessor, Steve Ballmer, who wanted to keep software services locked to Windows devices, Nadella believes Microsoft products should be at the “intersection of cloud and mobile.”
Nadella’s first step to make Microsoft device-agnostic was to finally release Office 365 to the iPad last March. The company had previously been in a long standoff with Apple and anyone that wanted to use Office had to resort to using a Microsoft tablet. And that didn’t work out so well.
Most people that own a tablet use an iPad.
Apple has a dominating 77.2% tablet market share and Microsoft’s 1.6% isn’t even close. By making Office 365 available on the iPad (along with Office Mobile for iPhone and Android), Microsoft has finally realized consumers care more about their software than their OS.
But is this enough to make people want to buy a mobile device powered by Windows?
Microsoft Needs Mobile to Succeed
Microsoft is a company that has been a lot more successful with its software than its hardware. And even though they have failed to create a mass-adopted mobile device, the company is still generating massive profits. But to claim Microsoft is doing just fine without mobile would be wrong.
Mobile is not just the future of technology, it’s the present. And wearables present unchartered territory where Microsoft has the potential to dominate – if they do it correctly.
It may be too late for Microsoft to stake any claim in the smartphone or tablet industries, but the smartwatch could be the mobile device they’ve been waiting for all along.
What do you think? Will the Microsoft smartwatch be a success? Should Microsoft make their products compatible with Android and iOS? Are smartwatches the future of mobile technology? Let us know in the comments below!
