It doesn’t come as a surprise to anyone when it is said that Windows Phone Mobile OS has been one of the biggest failures from Microsoft. Microsoft had a market share of merely 0.5% following which in 2017 it announced the end of additional features for its failing platform. Despite the fact that Microsoft is a giant that could take a hit or two, the Windows phone proved to be disastrous for the company. The acquisition of Nokia at $7.1 billion could also not help save the mobile OS. Let us try and understand, what actually went wrong that even the biggest names in technology could not set a foothold in the mobile industry?
Also Read:5 Reasons Why Nokia Failed In The Mobile Phone Market
Developer’s Game
Considering Microsoft’s only rivals were Android and Apple, both of which have a very different approach when it comes to how their software is distributed online. Android has hundreds and thousands of apps all vying for downloads and the vetting process isn’t very strict. The app users for android find users without much of a hassle and hence they are plenty in number. On the other hand, Apple has a more involved approach when it comes to ensuring the quality of apps available on their platform, but still, Apple supports its developers. This is one area in which Microsoft did not find much support.
Complex Platform
Microsoft was never able to overcome these core issues. They were not able to compete with the massive user base of Android. Their development tools were relatively old and use the C++ language which made the framework very complex and unappealing for the app developers who were used to developing apps for Android and iOS. Developers did not want to waste their efforts for a platform that wasn’t much popular and this was one of the key reasons that the operating system never gained popularity with the audience. Even the staple apps were not willing to make the jump to the Windows operating system and the miseries led to the further downfall of the Windows phones.
Also Read:Common Mistakes That Lead To Startup Failures
The Future
We can’t say that no operating system will ever be able to replace or match the footsteps of Android and iOS, but if anyone dares to develop a new OS, it has to be very developer friendly because, without apps, no audience is interested in switching to a new operating system. It’s difficult to say that if any other OS will make it as big as iOS and Android, but definitely Microsoft’s failure is a lesson for all OS developers and they should at no cost repeat the mistake.
