Unlikely that Windows 10 is free *because of* Windows Phone.
Some people read too much into what people say. In an interview the other day, when asked about Windows Phone's future, part of what Nadella said was that making the upgrade free for a year was part of that strategy. A lot of people saw this in the context of a Windows Phone question and jumped to the conclusion that the decision to make the update free was somehow motivated entirely or in large part by Windows Phone.
That, I think, is jumping to conclusions. And ones that don't make sense. Firstly, it was always a given that Windows Phone devices would either get the upgrade free or not at all. So free upgrades are a meaningless topic specifically to WP8 handsets. So, how does free upgrades to Win10 involve Windows Phone? Not in any direct fashion. What it does do however, is gets the bulk of their phones and PCs on a platform capable of running Universal Windows Apps which means multiple platforms.
Arguably, the move is as much to benefit PCs as phones. And, in many ways it is actually more beneficial to PCs. And it is even important to an overall strategy to get developers going through the Windows Store rather than traditional Win32 apps with their own MSIs.
A lot of people who do writing on tech, and thus Microsoft as well, are unaware of what the Windows Phone ecosystem has to offer. And the reality is that Windows Phone has a MUCH larger library of MUCH better titles than the desktop version of the store had. The Windows Store is something Microsoft monetizes and it is also something people use as a measure of success (the Android store has X apps, the App Store has these hit exclusive titles, etc...). It has been proven time and again that the platform isn't all that important any more. People care about 3rd party apps and that means getting developers to publish to your store.
And, in that light, the quickest way to boost Windows Store titles is to get those Windows Phone devs to convert their WP apps to Universal Apps. But, there is no value for developers to do this unless the new format provides API benefits or a larger audience. Most of the existing apps will likely have no inherent need for new APIs, so, new potential customers is the real potential motivator.
They also want to get that app store as plump as possible, as fast as possible. And here is where the free upgrade comes in. This has the potential to give the OS a significant market share boost early on, which could motivate developers to try and be ready on day 1 or shortly after. THIS is the reason for free upgrades. As you can see, phones are really just an incidental beneficiary of the move. The Windows Store is the primary winner and PCs the secondary as they had the weakest of their store offerings prior.
There is unlikely to be much flow the other way around in the short term. Most beneficial apps in the Windows Store for PCs were already on phone as well. The benefits will come in the long term if the strategy pays off and new developers and apps get made as Universal Apps that go out to both device types. In other words, if Windows 10 as a Platform gains success thanks to the free upgrade offer, then in the long run, Windows 10 based Phones will benefit from a richer selection of Universal Windows Applications.
I see no immediate or short-term benefits from free Windows 10 upgrades for phones.
That, I think, is jumping to conclusions. And ones that don't make sense. Firstly, it was always a given that Windows Phone devices would either get the upgrade free or not at all. So free upgrades are a meaningless topic specifically to WP8 handsets. So, how does free upgrades to Win10 involve Windows Phone? Not in any direct fashion. What it does do however, is gets the bulk of their phones and PCs on a platform capable of running Universal Windows Apps which means multiple platforms.
Arguably, the move is as much to benefit PCs as phones. And, in many ways it is actually more beneficial to PCs. And it is even important to an overall strategy to get developers going through the Windows Store rather than traditional Win32 apps with their own MSIs.
A lot of people who do writing on tech, and thus Microsoft as well, are unaware of what the Windows Phone ecosystem has to offer. And the reality is that Windows Phone has a MUCH larger library of MUCH better titles than the desktop version of the store had. The Windows Store is something Microsoft monetizes and it is also something people use as a measure of success (the Android store has X apps, the App Store has these hit exclusive titles, etc...). It has been proven time and again that the platform isn't all that important any more. People care about 3rd party apps and that means getting developers to publish to your store.
And, in that light, the quickest way to boost Windows Store titles is to get those Windows Phone devs to convert their WP apps to Universal Apps. But, there is no value for developers to do this unless the new format provides API benefits or a larger audience. Most of the existing apps will likely have no inherent need for new APIs, so, new potential customers is the real potential motivator.
They also want to get that app store as plump as possible, as fast as possible. And here is where the free upgrade comes in. This has the potential to give the OS a significant market share boost early on, which could motivate developers to try and be ready on day 1 or shortly after. THIS is the reason for free upgrades. As you can see, phones are really just an incidental beneficiary of the move. The Windows Store is the primary winner and PCs the secondary as they had the weakest of their store offerings prior.
There is unlikely to be much flow the other way around in the short term. Most beneficial apps in the Windows Store for PCs were already on phone as well. The benefits will come in the long term if the strategy pays off and new developers and apps get made as Universal Apps that go out to both device types. In other words, if Windows 10 as a Platform gains success thanks to the free upgrade offer, then in the long run, Windows 10 based Phones will benefit from a richer selection of Universal Windows Applications.
I see no immediate or short-term benefits from free Windows 10 upgrades for phones.
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