Bill Gates uses an android smartphone

[deany]

I must say I'm surprised to read this. A possible admission that Microsoft are looking at pulling the plug on Windows 10 mobile?

http://fortune.com/2017/09/26/google-android-phone-microsoft-bill-gates/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/technology-41399823

edit
looks like Windows 10 mobile is being replaced with andromedaOS in 2018
http://www.windowslatest.com/2017/09/19/andromeda-os-on-surface-phone/

 

[Technarchy]

Windows Mobile has no where to go.

Android is a better solution.

What's MSFT going to do? Reboot their mobile strategy and eco-system again and strand their user base? Try and leverage Bing, Office 365, and OneDrive? Good luck with that.

 

[deany]

Windows Mobile has no where to go.

Android is a better solution.

What's MSFT going to do? Reboot their mobile strategy and eco-system again and strand their user base? Try and leverage Bing, Office 365, and OneDrive? Good luck with that.

I remember Microsoft very nearly bought Yahoo a few years back.
I wonder if a Microsoft - Google merger maybe on the cards.

 

[jamesrick80]

Android is closer to windows than iOS so I'm sure he had no other choice. Plus Microsoft sells the S8 in Microsoft stores although loaded with all the Microsoft apps that are free in the play store.

 

[Technarchy]

Android is closer to windows than iOS so I'm sure he had no other choice. Plus Microsoft sells the S8 in Microsoft stores although loaded with all the Microsoft apps that are free in the play store.

Isn’t the Microsoft store version free of carrier bloat as well?

 

[deany]

I don't think Alphabet Inc. even in their wildest dreams could have asked for a better advert.
I think something is on the horizon here. These interviews are often 'staged' for a reason.

 

[Technarchy]

I don't think Alphabet Inc. even in their wildest dreams could have asked for a better advert.
I think something is on the horizon here. These interviews are often 'staged' for a reason.

I think once the S8 started appearing in Microsoft stores it hinted at something possibly brewing. I wouldn’t be surprised if Microsoft skinned the hell out of android and sold it as a Surface phone deeply integrated with Microsoft software and services and wrapped in a super svelte design.

Given Google just spending billions on HTC, I can’t see Microsoft doing any type of acquisition.

 

[jamesrick80]

Isn’t the Microsoft store version free of carrier bloat as well?

Yep... correct.

 

[JaySoul]

I think once the S8 started appearing in Microsoft stores it hinted at something possibly brewing. I wouldn’t be surprised if Microsoft skinned the hell out of android and sold it as a Surface phone deeply integrated with Microsoft software and services and wrapped in a super svelte design.

Given Google just spending billions on HTC, I can’t see Microsoft doing any type of acquisition.

That's an interesting shout.

 

[Tsepz]

I am not that surprised, Microsoft and Samsung have had a little thing going since 2015, maybe even a little before that, we began seeing Samsung incorporating a lot of MS Software in their phones.

I bet Bill Gates either has a S8+ Microsoft Edition or maybe even a Note8 Microsoft Edition.

I imagine incredible things on the way if Microsoft help Samsung with DeX.

 

[lowendlinux]

I remember Microsoft very nearly bought Yahoo a few years back.
I wonder if a Microsoft - Google merger maybe on the cards.

That would put me off of mobile tech altogether that company would be to big and have way to much information at it's disposal google is bad enough.

 

[nviz22]

I think once the S8 started appearing in Microsoft stores it hinted at something possibly brewing. I wouldn’t be surprised if Microsoft skinned the hell out of android and sold it as a Surface phone deeply integrated with Microsoft software and services and wrapped in a super svelte design.

Given Google just spending billions on HTC, I can’t see Microsoft doing any type of acquisition.

I rather a Surface Phone be heavily product driven. I actually wished Blackberry, Microsoft, and Nokia were major powerhouses today. My idea of a Surface Phone would be something that implements Ubuntu for Android style of software: 64 bit processing through apps on a phone or tablet, but full fledged x86 when you connect a phone to a dock. When connecting to a dock, your phone transfers quick as the Switch does with its TV dock. I doubt there is a point of x86 programs on a 5-6" display, but it could happen given the size of 7-8" tablets offering x86 programs without a keyboard, stylus, or a mouse.

 

[Rum_Becker]

I remember Microsoft very nearly bought Yahoo a few years back.
I wonder if a Microsoft - Google merger maybe on the cards.

That has to be one of the most crazy and amazing ideas, unlike the AOL TW merger, both microsoft and google are solid companies. The biggest obstacle besides Antitrust issues would be that Microsoft is focused on $$$ and Google is focused on growth. Microsoft Charges for office and Google gives it away for free, all google wants in return is for you to use their services with the hope of making money one day. The only goal of a merger like that would be to try to kick Apple out of the enterprise market.

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

Windows Phone is the shoulda woulda coulda mobile OS. The potential was high.

 

[5105973]

Lol, I once downloaded a launcher to my HTC 10 that mimicked a Windows Phone interface beautifully. It was quite enjoyable. My husband couldn't quite see the point of it but I really liked it. All of my Android apps were there in a rather pleasant Windows Phone wrapper.

 

[deany]

I wonder if Bill is a Pixel 2 or more of a Pixel 2 XL man.
I'd say XL the black version.

Hoping Microsoft and Google get together to boot Windows on the new Chromebooks, that would be good, if possible.
Still trying to work out the Microsoft/Google connection.

 

[dewasinting]

I remember Microsoft very nearly bought Yahoo a few years back.
I wonder if a Microsoft - Google merger maybe on the cards.

The clowns at FCC won't allow it.

 

[AustinIllini]

The clowns at FCC won't allow it.

They had better not. That would not benefit the consumers at all and so many workers at each company would get let go.

The two companies should cooperate. Microsoft should release an Android phone with all MSFT services by default for the enterprise market. While Android does not have the best security record, a backing like Microsoft for a next gen Android based surface phone would likely interest Enterprise users. For personal use, throw in Office 365 for the life of the device to owners.

Right now my company only supports iPhone and Samsung Galaxy products for corporate mail. A MSFT Android device would definitely make the availability list.

 

[convergent]

I remember Microsoft very nearly bought Yahoo a few years back.
I wonder if a Microsoft - Google merger maybe on the cards.

I can't think of a reason that a merger would benefit either one. They compete on cloud, office, desktop OS, ecosystem, etc.. Google is primarily an advertising business, and Microsoft is primarily a software business. Both are moving more to the cloud, as is every other tech company. Culturally they couldn't probably be more different. Microsoft's roots are old school, IBMish; Google is a dot com. The average age of staff is I think about 12-13 years different between them, which are polar opposites in tech companies.

It is very unfortunate that Microsoft squandered the early lead they had in smartphone platforms (going back to Pocket PC, Windows Mobile, etc. and they had significant share). Ballmer failed to see the iPhone (or Android) as a threat to their business. Its an example of what happens when a company gets fat, dumb, and happy, and is riding on a hugely profitable product that is a significant share of their business... they get lazy in the other areas. Hmm... any similarities to Apple and how the iPhone has become what they are totally about. Everything else is slowly becoming a hobby or accessory for the iPhone's ecosystem.

Microsoft is never going to be able to re-enter the mobile space and compete head to head with iOS and Android. Its virtually impossible unless they wanted to fund multiple billions to pay for developers to move the top several thousand apps to that platform... and they kind of tried that before and it failed because the developers had no incentive to make them good. The "build it and they will come" mentality won't work. They need to change the playing field with a market disruption product. That is definitely possible. They have a much better shot and doing it with Android than iOS, because iOS is unwilling to allow their walled garden to be messed with. From what I can see, Microsoft is now wanting to be the "glue" company to help these things work better together. To what degree they get cooperation from their competitors remains to be seen.

 

[dewasinting]

They had better not. That would not benefit the consumers at all and so many workers at each company would get let go.

The two companies should cooperate. Microsoft should release an Android phone with all MSFT services by default for the enterprise market. While Android does not have the best security record, a backing like Microsoft for a next gen Android based surface phone would likely interest Enterprise users. For personal use, throw in Office 365 for the life of the device to owners.

Right now my company only supports iPhone and Samsung Galaxy products for corporate mail. A MSFT Android device would definitely make the availability list.

Any one on iOS & Android can always subscribe to Office 365 and there is also Outlook App. An android device with Microsoft skin may not be popular. Somehow people don't want Windows 10 in their phones.

 

[AustinIllini]

Any one on iOS & Android can always subscribe to Office 365 and there is also Outlook App. An android device with Microsoft skin may not be popular. Somehow people don't want Windows 10 in their phones.

But this wouldn't be Windows 10 on peoples' phones. A Microsoft phone with full access to the Play store would be a completely different offering than a Windows 10 phone.

 

[dewasinting]

To my understanding, Microsoft is a software company since nobody knows what software is and began life developing applications for the Mac and what ever precedes it. Now that Microsoft has been in OS business, selling devices with non-Windows OS is like a brand suicide.

 

[convergent]

Any one on iOS & Android can always subscribe to Office 365 and there is also Outlook App. An android device with Microsoft skin may not be popular. Somehow people don't want Windows 10 in their phones.

I don't think that is the point. Apple is doing continuity in a walled garden. Microsoft's Flow is doing something similar across multiple platforms. They seem to be moving more and more of their experience into the cloud, but not doing it in a walled garden. With an Android phone under the Microsoft brand, perhaps they could build more of that seamlessness into the experience. Lets not forget that several other Android phone makers are building their own experience on top of the OS... Samsung more successfully than most, but there are others. Microsoft is the dominant party in business. If they can make the experience of Android phone seamless with Windows 10 on the desktop, but also pull in all the "apps" that Android has to offer, that is something most in business would be interested in.

One thing they could potentially do is containerization. Put the business world in a box separate from personal. I would love for my smartphone to know that I work certain hours, and outside those hours not send me notifications from Exchange email during those hours. And the flip side, to not send me entertainment notifications during work hours. It would be great to be able to hand my phone to my kid to watch a movie, but have my work life separate so that there is no security risk. No one is doing this well... RIM/Blackberry tried to do it, but it was too late for them.

There is a LOT that Microsoft could do, given their position in the market, to improve the smartphone experience, and in particular help with work / life balance, security, etc.. I seriously doubt that Apple will do it... they are more worried about Car Pool Karaoke and which rap star should be highlighted in their keynote. Google... maybe, but not seriously.