How and why Microsoft should bring a (telephony-enabled) Windows 10X device to our pockets

Source: Windows Central

In January 2022, I presented an analysis claiming Microsoft would bring an inking focused, telephony-powered pocketable PC to market. I even suggested Microsoft-branded earpieces would be a practical accessory for this device. In 2022 leaks regarding Projection Andromeda, a Windows Core Os-powered (or Windows 10X) pocket PC, confirmed this analysis. As data continued to surface, I incorporated those details into my ongoing analysis of Microsoft'due south Pocket PC mobile strategy.

Microsoft has sought to converge the ability of Windows and the broader Microsoft cloud, apps, hardware, and services ecosystem on a pocketable telephony-enabled mobile device for years. Windows Mobile, Windows Phone, and Windows 10 Mobile were all mobile OSes that flirted with Microsoft'due south mobile vision but failed to bring the "power" of Windows and the synergy of Microsoft's ecosystem to a touch-focused mobile experience. Thus, Microsoft designed the modular, lighter and context-conforming Windows 10X, for duo screen PCS like Surface Neo (a versatile tablet) and partner devices from Dell, HP, and Lenovo coming next year. It was even planned to power the now Android-based Surface Duo (a pocketable device), formerly known as Project Andromeda.

The surprise introduction of the Android-powered Surface Duo at this year's Surface event is a manifestation of Microsoft's piece of work toward a telephony-enabled, Windows 10X-powered pocket PC. After all, Surface Duo was beingness developed for years - similar the Surface Neo, which shares its design - with Windows 10X in heed until a relatively contempo shift resulted with Android as the Bone of choice. According to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Microsoft is meeting users and developers where they are with this "miniature Surface Neo" that runs Android and makes phone calls. And coming together them where they are is key to leading them to the Windows 10X-powered telephony-enabled pocket PC I believe Microsoft also wants them to somewhen embrace. And information technology may coexist with the Android-powered Duo.

Satya Nadella's empathy-driven Microsoft is relationship-focused

Similar many of the tough decisions Nadella has made (at a cost), an Android-powered Surface Duo is almost forging relationships. Through these relationships, I believe, Microsoft hopes to bring a Windows 10X telephony-enabled PC to our pockets.

Microsoft was once notoriously Microsoft- and Windows-axial internally conflicted, and routinely leveraged its market dominance to force developers, partners, and consumers to accept the Microsoft mode. Driven by empathy Nadella "hitting refresh" and embraced his predecessors Steve Ballmer's "I Microsoft" vision to heal internal divides. He also reached beyond Microsoft to build relationships that accept helped Microsoft aggrandize its ecosystem across a multiplatform world.

Driven by empathy, Nadella is expanding the Microsoft ecosystem across a multiplatform world.

Nadella open up-sourced .Internet, embraced Linux, made Azure and its cross-platform goals the "new Windows or the world'south operating system," prioritized cross-platform apps, focused on tying Windows, Android and iOS together through Microsoft Graph and much more than. At present the visitor has partnered with Google and is soliciting the support of android developers to create unique experiences for a first-party dual-screened android device. Nadella'due south empathy-driven, people-focused leadership style is attributed to his experiences raising his son Zane, who has astringent disabilities; and this cannot be overlooked as a cistron in Microsoft's mobile strategy.

Nadella who admitted to initially perceiving Zane's disabilities every bit something that happened to him rather than to his son, through empathy learned to see and run into his son's needs, by first meeting him where he is. This is not unlike Nadella'due south evolving strategy to push developers, consumers, and partners further into Microsoft'south ecosystem by start meeting them where they are. The android-powered Surface Duo is an example of Microsoft coming together developers and users where they are with the hope of expanding support beyond the broader ecosystem (i.e., Window 10X on a pocketable device). This "human" arroyo to leading technological innovation places how users, developers, and partners feel as a priority. Nadella's more "open" Microsoft arguably makes users and developers feel improve about Microsoft's ecosystem than the less all-around Microsoft of onetime.

The Surface Duo feel-proficient path to Microsoft's ecosystem

Source: Windows Central

Apple tree'south iPhone didn't succeed considering of the number of apps in the App Store. The relationships Apple built with developers, users, and others (along with other factors), which made them feel good about being a office of Apple tree's ecosystem, led to a populated App Store, which in turn contributed to the iPhone'southward success.

Surface Duo is an expression of Microsoft's ecosystem of hardware, software, cloud, and other services. The device is meant to make Android developers and those who desire to use an Android-powered, telephony-enabled pocketable device feel good about Microsoft'south ecosystem.

Surface Duo volition encounter developers and users where they are and describe them into Microsoft's ecosystem.

Over the next yr, Microsoft is expected to nurture relationships with Android developers and Google to create tailored dual-screen experiences and apps for Surface Duo leading up to its vacation 2022 launch. Microsoft volition simultaneously be cultivating relationships with Windows developers who are tasked with creating tailored experiences and apps for the larger dual-screened Windows 10X-powered Surface Neo, which shares the same form gene and launch time as the Surface Duo.

Surface Duo's and Surface Neo's shared form factor and Microsoft'south goal to optimize dual-screen experiences for their respective platforms over the side by side year is telling of its mobile strategy:

Windows 10X provides the powerful, context-conforming, mobility-focused OS Microsoft has always envisioned for a pocket PC with telephony.
The android-powered, telephony-enabled Surface Duo offers mobile developers a device in Microsoft's ecosystem for which they will potentially be excited about developing apps - unlike Windows 10 Mobile. This strategically creates an opportunity to secure the long sought later but never achieved favorable relationship between mobile developers and Microsoft.
The Surface Neo, which shares the same form cistron equally the Duo, will potentially be used by Microsoft to demonstrate to its Android developers that Windows 10X can accomplish the aforementioned dual-screen experiences developers produce on Android and the Duo.
Microsoft can highlight the advantages its integrated services bring to dual-screen experiences using Windows 10X inside Microsoft'due south ecosystem.

Microsoft has never been better positioned to achieve its pocket PC goal.

Shrinking the Surface Neo

Every bit the Surface Go is a miniature Surface Pro, the Surface Duo is a small Surface Neo. Though the Duo was initially meant to run Windows 10X, in the short term, Android makes sense to get programmer and consumer support for Microsoft'south ecosystem on all Surface grade factors including a pocketable device.

If these devices hit the market on schedule next yr, that won't be a culmination of a plan – it'll be a get-go. I've highlighted in the past that iOS and Android are mobile OSes that Apple tree and Google are trying to evolve into more than capable OSes to support more complex computing demands and desktop scenarios.

Conversely, Microsoft has been coming from the opposite direction, trying to make Windows lighter, more versatile, and mobile-friendly while retaining its desktop strengths. This seems to take significantly been achieved with Windows 10X on the Surface Neo. Consequently, Android on the Surface Duo is not the full realization of Microsoft'southward pocket PC vision.

Surface Duo is so much more than a telephone

Microsoft asserts that Windows 10X is designed to power dual-screened PCs. Thus, I believe Surface creator Panos Panay's endeavor to distance Surface Duo from a traditional smartphone is important. It is, I believe, in function to ensure that when Windows 10X finally comes to a Surface Duo-like device, that that device will be viewed every bit what Panay said Surface Duo is during its introduction – a Surface, albeit one with a new form factor occupying a new product category.

I want to be super clear about this, you're going to talk about this equally a phone and I get that. And you're going to talk about it as a communication device and it does both of those things incredibly well, for sure. For certain, you can text, you lot can write, yous can do what you lot want. Simply make no error this product is a Surface. - Panos Panay.

Panay knew that many writers would dilute this narrative by categorizing the personal and productivity-focused Surface Duo every bit a phone – equally he gave subtle guidance on how (not) to classify it. If (because there are no guarantees Microsoft'southward strategy will succeed or that developers will reply) Windows 10X does come to a Surface Duo-like device, Panay'south assertion that the Duo is not a telephone will exist more apparent as that Windows 10X powered device volition be more aligned with the Surface Neo PC category with which it shares a design.

Sadly, the "phone" narrative that has already begun for the Surface Duo category will make it more challenging for Microsoft to affirm its messaging that that potential telephony-enabled Windows 10X-powered pocketable PC is more than a telephone.

Microsoft invited me to its biggest Surface upshot ever — and information technology was Crawly!
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