512MB Lumias to get Windows 10? Duh!
While it is nice to see that they have confirmed that they will even be included in the initial batch of phones supported for the Windows Insider program, the news that Windows 10 will be coming to 512MB devices in and of itself is more or less a given. I said this a long time ago (in a slightly different way and different context), and I'll say it again... if they aren't investing, and heavily, in forward support for 512MB then there is no point in investing forward support in ANY existing devices.
Basically, virtually every device usage report pegs low end Lumia's as making up well over 90% of the active Windows Phone user base. If low end devices won't get the update then they are wasting effort supporting higher end phones as most of their users will still feel left in the dark. And it isn't just where the phones are, it is where the bulk of the companies device efforts are including marketing, advertising and new devices for the past year. So it isn't like they wanted to sell high end phones and instead sold a ton of low end ones. They were pushing low end phones AND that is where they were finding success.
At this point, if they screwed over that segment they would be doing a repeat of what happened with Windows Phone 7 users. And while they may only have a small slice of the market, it is bigger now than it was when they abandoned WP7 users.
The other reason even aside from the threat of losing existing users is that, as I said, the real hope is to bolster Windows 10 on desktop by cannibalizing phone users and more importantly phone and mobile developers. The Windows Phone store has FAR more apps and more big name apps than the Windows Store on desktops and laptops has. Abandon the users again and the devs may leave as well. Bring all of their customers forward and you might convince them to write a universal app. And better yet, you may convince them to slap UI's on that app for multiple Windows form factors.
I don't believe Microsoft's strategy is to save Windows Phone, but paradoxically, I think it is to use Windows Phone to save Windows on the desktop and tablet.
Basically, virtually every device usage report pegs low end Lumia's as making up well over 90% of the active Windows Phone user base. If low end devices won't get the update then they are wasting effort supporting higher end phones as most of their users will still feel left in the dark. And it isn't just where the phones are, it is where the bulk of the companies device efforts are including marketing, advertising and new devices for the past year. So it isn't like they wanted to sell high end phones and instead sold a ton of low end ones. They were pushing low end phones AND that is where they were finding success.
At this point, if they screwed over that segment they would be doing a repeat of what happened with Windows Phone 7 users. And while they may only have a small slice of the market, it is bigger now than it was when they abandoned WP7 users.
The other reason even aside from the threat of losing existing users is that, as I said, the real hope is to bolster Windows 10 on desktop by cannibalizing phone users and more importantly phone and mobile developers. The Windows Phone store has FAR more apps and more big name apps than the Windows Store on desktops and laptops has. Abandon the users again and the devs may leave as well. Bring all of their customers forward and you might convince them to write a universal app. And better yet, you may convince them to slap UI's on that app for multiple Windows form factors.
I don't believe Microsoft's strategy is to save Windows Phone, but paradoxically, I think it is to use Windows Phone to save Windows on the desktop and tablet.
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