#AskDanWindows 18 - Is Windows Phone dead?

We're back for another episode of #AskDanWindows where I take your questions from Twitter and email and do my best to answer. Obviously, a lot has happened in the last two weeks especially with Windows Phone, so I'll be talking a lot about that topic.

Ready for the questions we picked? Here we go!

AskDanWindows Episode 18 Questions of the Week

  • Do you agree that windows phone is over? (Do you still use WP everyday) – Jason L.
  • What do you think was Microsoft's biggest mistake with Windows Phone and do you believe without the mistake Windows Phone would be a success today? – Jason L.
  • So my question is, Should I get the L930 (which is more affordable but outdated) or wait for L950 (which is more expensive but a high end phone)? – Manish R.
  • Why isn't it possible to buy a game once and have it be available to download on both PC and Xbox. - Ehtesham S
  • Why is Microsoft pushing back the rollout date for Windows 10 Mobile and losing momentum from the 950/950XL release? – Ryan N.
  • Any word on a Band 3? Will Band 1 get any more feature updates? – Russel H.
  • What about Surface 4 (non pro version)? Is MSFT just waiting for Intel Goldmont chips? – Lucas B.
  • How do you feel about Microsoft giving goodies to other platforms (WordFlow, Garage apps, etc) while their own OS lacks much? – Samir S.
  • Why have Microsoft not been able to merge skype into messaging in the way imessage for apple works? Or is this the plan? – David S.
  • Is it possible to install windows phone 8.1.1 using recover tool in Lumia 950XL or 950 – Yasir R.
  • Is the 650 the last phone based on Nokia's designs or is it a sign of things to come with the Surface phone? - @ltjordan24

Thanks to everyone who submitted a question and as always, thanks for watching!

New email!

Don't use Twitter? Well after much feedback we are happy to announce you can forward your questions to AskDan@WindowsCentral.com to submit your requests!

About that office…

For those of you wondering about our office, we did our full office tour a few months ago. You can find that article here including our equipment listing or watch the video below!

Missed previous episodes? You may be surprised what I have revealed. You can find previous episodes of #AskDanWindows here on the main landing page.

Daniel Rubino
Editor-in-chief

Daniel Rubino is the Editor-in-chief of Windows Central, head reviewer, podcast co-host, and analyst. He has been covering Microsoft since 2007 when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, laptops, next-gen computing, and for some reason, watches. Before all this tech stuff, he worked on a Ph.D. in linguistics, watched people sleep (for medical purposes!), and ran the projectors at movie theaters because it was fun.

437 Comments
  • It's not dead but MS will never get that 10% ww market share
  • It's not dead but it sure has cancer
  • lol
  • Make that stage 4 cancer.
  • This phone really does test my patience, I've had it since early January, overheating, hard reset, insert class 10 Sandisk 128gb micro sd card overheats, remove micro sd card, hard reset, back up from previous profile overheats, hard reset, install preview build, overheats, hard reset, so now no sd card and current preview version start installing apps and guess what ? Overheats, hard reset , start again , why ? Gone back into the draw and using my LG G4 , camera just as good, if not better, doesn't overheat, music player plays all files as does the video player, found if I disabled certain apps running in the background I can get through the day until I go to bed with moderate usage and charge it whule I sleep, have not had to hard reset this device, great screen, awesome phone. Gonna get myself the LG V10, who wants to buy a Lumia 950 XL? Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
  • Don't want to buy yours.
  • I'll give you £10
  • Want one, just not yours.
  • How much do the the Andriod vendors pay you to spew all this nonsense?
  • Sounds like you have a bad unit. Have you tried exchanging it? Since you just bought it, you should be able to easly get a replacement.
  • It should be under warranty right? why don't you apply it so they'll fix it or give you a new one
  • LOL
  • Yeah and it is of the kind called "leadership" or actually the lack of it.
  • Not dead and never will be.. Like they said, they're making phones for windows fans and window ecosystem...meaning if you a windows fans there will always be phone for you...that's why they are spreading there features to other OS, because they are no longer focus on overtaking them in the phone market...once they make the surface phone, it will be for the eco and if it takes off like pancakes then they will start the push for take over (especially with everyone already using there features on other platforms..#takeover
  • Get a life. Microsoft is making phones for Microsoft. The only time they cared about fans was when Nokia was running the show. So sad that you d*ck riders won't wake up. It's over there dead.
  • *they're
    I wouldn't doubt them so much. Remember when the surface came out?
    Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
  • Why so angry? Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
  • You are wrong, sorry.
  • That's the problem with you FALSE WINDOWS FANS... You act like you hate apple and the iPhone, but you beg Microsoft to be just like them...ppl please stop comparing...a true fan or supporter sticks with his Team...you are probably one of those NBA bandwagon fans...or one of those compare LeBron to Jordan when they are completely unique from each other...i swear the cell phone world is just like the NBA...ppl just need to appreciate great things and not compare all the time...I've been with windows since the original mobile and firts in line for my HD2 and HD7 all I see is greatness happening but y'all still stuck on Jordan's (Aka Apple) balls and want everyone to be like him #toeachitsown
  • If the 950 and XL were supposed to be for fans they sure f-ed up royally.
  • Nope, you just don't own one.
  • hay buddy, speak for yourself. My wife and i LOVE, i mean absolutely LOVE our 950 and 950XL. let the """""""""""SPECS""""""""""""" speak for themselves. Something CrApple iJUNK is lacking and are 4 years "BEHIND" of these phns and other flagship phns. To us it looks and feels great with -0- complaint. We BOTH LOVE, that we can take the battery out, Wireless charging, Turbo Charging, 2 SIM slots, MicroSD card slot(we both have 256 GB Samsung EVO Ultra, super fast card), Iris scanners, Those beautiful 2.5K AMOLED screens, USB-C port, unreal 20 PIX killer cameras, with RGB Flash,................. Just name a few that even many top flagship phns do NOT offer or have them. If you people buy phns for what it offers on the "outside", and don't give a crap about what's on the ""INSIDE""(SPECS), and think its a Fashion Piece, like those overrated under performance, 4+ years behind,....iJUNK garbage phns, then YOU all need to get your head examined. These are SMART PHONES, NOT a jewelry piece. Yes its made out of Polycarbonate Plastic, so does MANY MANY MANY.....Flagship phones and other products out there. These phns have Wireless charging(UNLIKE iJUNK), and will not work if it was in a metal body, like iJUNK. In addition, if plastic is so freaking bad, WHY just about every iJUNK you see its in a PLASTIC protective case????????????????? Oh so it does NOT get dings and scratches, or gets BENT, that 950/950XL doesn't have to worry about. Also, even if these phns were made out of Diamond, what benefit would that gives you, beside being extremely expensive??????????  Would it give you 4k AMOLED screen? NO. Would it have 20 days battery life? NO. would it give you Iris scanner? NO. Would it give you better storage? NO. Would it give you faster CPU? NO Would it give you more RAM? NO. ........... it would NOT help its SPECS, or benefit on what's on the inside. So what's the point???? If you all want to showoff, then wear a huge Gold Chain with Diamonds all over it, problem solved. You don't need a smart phn to Gold and Diamond's job to showoff and/or get attention.     
  • I sure hope MS is giving you a check for writing all that drivel.
  • Lol
  • Not an apple fan but at least apple users can use Microsoft services and get a better experience. Also on my LG G4 I installed the Microsoft Arrow Launcher, much better than live tiles. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
  • Tried that I just think it requires too many permissions for a launcher Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
  • I beg to disagree about the Arrow Launcher. It is only better than most of the built in android launchers. I have two android phones which have Arrow and Next, and it does not come close with the metro layout of my 520,730,830 by means of simplicity and ease of use, but hey that's my preference.
  • +1
  • The MS services are a lot better on w10. Sounds like you are making a few things up in this thread...
  • Hi have android team resolve the issue "Unfortunately <app Name> stopped working"...No doubt they can't because they won't listen like MS team  just they will do for for their sake.....Arrow Launcher is made from MS thats the reason it works perfectly....  
  • I can't quite work out if you like Apple or not?
  • ohh nice one ..you give me an idea now how to deal with my customer (im a windows fan )
  • This is one of the trolliest comments I have ever read, if that is even a word. Trying to justify buying a phone with an unfinished OS. I have tried Windows Phone with the Lumia 1520, but after not having the apps I wanted; banking, snap chat, and a few others for school I decided i've had enough. I forgot to mention the "ghost taps" that were frequent when trying to scroll, unfortunately that issue was never resolved. I am now using a Nexus 6P, and I am positive it exceeds the 950/950XL even though it doesn't have all the features like iris scanner, removeable battery, memory card slot, dual sim, I do not care one bit because I rather unlock my phone with a fingerprint sensor because I doubt the iris scanner works more than 90% of the time unless you're in perfect lighting conditions. A removeable battery is no use to me because I easily go a full day without needing to charge. Memory card slot is also not necessary since all my photos are uploaded to the cloud, and I don't have many apps I use so 32gb is fine for me. I never travel overseas so dual sim is also not necessary. Honestly Windows Phone has been dead for a while now, Microsoft needs to bury it already and set their focus on Windows 10 and the Xbox 1. 
  • Why do y'all act like the 950 & Xl were Microsoft's best try? That was a Nokia leftover and Microsoft tried to make it more interesting by giving it some power.. ...the Surface Phone will be their iPhone/Galaxy and if that fails then, yall can talk..
  • Well can they make a real smartwatch so I can wear it to wokr and not a fitness band.
  • You don't need a smart watch. I bet you don't even wear a watch
  • What kind of idiotic statement is this? How can you think people don't wear watches...
  • And here's another apple fan...let me asks you, when did you start wanting a smartwatch? Pre or post apple watch.. If pre then no harm..
  • Microsoft hasn't tried to make a smartwatch. To my knowledge they have no interest in it. I've seen a few folks wearing Apple watches, and honestly it doesn't make sense to me. So they get a text message notification on their watch, from the phone that's in their pocket. "I can't be bothered with taking my phone out of my pocket, life is so difficult..." But that's just me. I guess a lot of people find use in having multiple devices that duplicate functionality.
  • Smartwatches are a fad
  • yeah that might be but its no good if theres no apps to back it up...
  • Not at the rate they're going... Microsoft greatly underestimated the importance of PR.
  • I think it was the amazing concept of having phones beyond the 920,925, 928 for users to actually buy for something like a year and a half... Heck even now a Verizon or Sprint user has nothing worth buying...
  • The problems is this, 920, 925, 930, 1020, 1520 are all different indesign and tech, and it´s bad. Go and look on a new BMW, they have al the same direction in design and style, the same about iPhones. NOKIA was the killer, and now it took two years to stop this crazy system, each time a new style and new design. On the top of this, NOKIA also send out hundred of different low end devices, with LTE, wihout LTE, with double sim an without doyble sim, and all in 4 different colours. JESUs CHRIST what a judgement and way to make business. Now we will get a clean line, SURFACE design and quality, the desing and everything fron MS, not all this NOKIA garbage in 100 different devices and designs. The 950 serie is great, works well and the performance is great, new thinking and the futre. But what we need is the same in a SURFACE design, and furtehr development. Look at Apple and Android, maybe nice chrome and plastic, but what inside and for what, browsing and gaming, what else and nothing serious, okay maybe looking pictures also. We need a clearly MS design, and it need to be this way, and it will be so in the future. After Elop the woke up, he was areal MS killer.I cant wait for my first SURFACE phone, but I know I need to wait, and I will wait.
  • Well... If you know better about Nokia business strategy then probably you are a 2016 model... Are you? :D
  • Nokia strategies were solid, they had a phone for everyone. Just like Android platform does now. If Nokia could have kept this with Microsoft acquisition period, and offered the same product spectrum, and Microsoft hasn't laid off their part viciously, it would be all different. That's why people mostly own a 3 year old Lumia and hesitate to stay on this ecosystem, because there are no WP available for them.
    But sure, be like Apple and make everyone have the same phone.
    You know, Microsoft is better than that. They offered software for millions of computers worldwide. They were never at the level of lagging the W10M was on a handful of different handsets.
  • Samsung Edge sells bucket loads because it doesn't look like previous Samsung phones......go figure.
  • it will be dead is they don't solve the app issue.  Whenever you see an app is avaliable you never see Windows Phone, even Blackberry is mentioned.  We don't wnat to admitt it by the platform needs the apps its that simple.
  • I agree, Satya does seem laser focused like he announced they would make 3 devices and show laser focused. There only thing he focused on is other platforms.
  • The WP line up is confusing even for an ardent fan. The uneducated public have no chance of knowing what phones are available.
  • That's true
  • They always have. See: Zune
  • It never had a chance after the new ceo took over. He definitely wants to see it dead but don't want to get the bad rep for killing it outright, and so he came up with some ridiculous excuse to send it on a suicide mission with no support.
  • He doesn't want it dead...he just wants the pass dead, ge wants to revamp...and make it a piece of the puzzle not a puzzle of its own..
  • Oh shut the **** up.
  • That's ridiculous. I don't get why saturated nutella always get's the blame. Clearly Balmer missed the opportunity to get in the mobile game early on, and thus having a much greater chance at getting people to be buy MS mobile devices, building brand loyalty etc.
  • Maybe. But it is Nadella who seems to be pretty much abandoning the 10% market share Nokia and Ballmer did build up in several markets. :)
  • search "Windows Phone Dead". even on Bing
  • Yes windows phone is dead, but WINDOWS MOBILE lives!!!!
  • ask Cortana :D
  • LOL
  •  easy for u say, u dont like in canada :)
  • Try living in england where all your friends have windows phone and then moving to Canada. Not a single carrier carries windows phone. If it was not for ms stores or online I wouldn't own my 950 xl. Which I now love more than my 1020
  • She told me windows phone sucks
  • Hahahaha. Lol......!
  • Troll much?
  • I wish.
  • IN Europe AS the 10% in some countrys reached also the 15%. But Microsoft hasn't a good marketing staff and now it's loosing the market share because Here there isn't any advertisment. no initiative no offers in the shops. the Lumia are in darkest place in the shops because apple and samsung ask and pay to big chain to show and promote their phone. Microsoft cannot sell anything (also the surface, they want to sell only online without any ads, in europe I mean)
  • title not found on all video links .. ??????????
  • Llikely is dead for most practical purposes (i.e. doubt the Surface Phone will make a dent unless iOS apps can be ported to it with absolutely minimal effort by developers - and Apple doesn't figute out a way to stop them from doing that) and MS will focus on delivering Continuum type experiences for its other sofware (notably Office, Skype etc. of course) on iOS and Android devices. Maybe  I will more positevely about this tomorrow - my feelings do ebb and flow. :D
  • Not yet....but the future is still out there...lol
  • Yep, it's dead. Microsoft hiding away for a year in the mobile space simply allows the app gap to increase in size to the point where it will simply never be bridged
    There's no arresting this decline. Blackberry are doing it right by providing a forked/secure version of Android. That is the only way out for MS.
    (They only have themselves to blame. They have focussed development on the desktop in a world that is ever more mobile. They will rue that error)
  • Yaah! ₹62000 - blackberry android device. Lot fair decent pricing u know
  • Blackberry is dead. WP/WM is not dead until Microsoft has money for mobile division.
  • In short, 'Until Uncle Gates, have money' & Nadella to throw away that money. SMH
    You're such a lame, Nadella.
  • Except he's not a lame...he has turned microsoft around you blind ****
  • Turned around? On paper, the financials look great...after write offs and firings. With the current path, I predict short term gains and long term trouble. Apple fans will stay loyal to Apple and Android fans will stay loyal to Google. If anything MS gives away for free becomes too popular, they'll pull out their own 1st party "official" version. I don't even use Cortana on the occasion that I pick up my GS5. Built-in, is better.
  • Except for the fact that Apple is in for a slump in iPhone sales... Maybe the fans are not that loyal after all
  • Wm will never sell as many phones as Apple has in its worst days!!
  • WM doesn't need to sell as many phones as Apple because Apple rely on phones as their main income. Also, iPhone sales are.decreasing just like iPad sales have been quarter after quarter. WM on the other hand is a relevant but small division within Microsoft. So they can support smaller market share. Unless Apple stop making inferior tech and catch up with SD.cards, wireless charging and Amoled.screens, they will suffer even more. Remember Motorola, Nokia, Blackberry and other large tech companies have suffered the same fate.
  • @iyae: No. You are wrong. If today, WP is dead, it is bcoz of Dumb users like.
    & that's why MS doesn't care for its own platform, as they know Dumbass like you will keep buying their 3rd Class Handsets like 950/XL.
    Wese Tu he bra Ullu ka Pattha. #UDP
    I doubt that one day WP/WM will B a third party phone having everything (Apps/Games) from 3rd party developers rather than Official.
  • Ullu ka pattha :D
  • Blackberry is not dead yet.. People have been saying that for years.
  • Yes, Blackberry is not dead, at least not yet. But unlike Microsoft, it is dying for real at the moment. The sales of the succeeding Android devices from Blackberry, other than the Priv, will give the definitive answer whether it's still dying or if it will rise from the ashes. If the sales go north, then it will live. If the sales go south, then it will not just be dying, like now, but it will truly be dead.
  • Well they have more android devices planned. The priv has been fairly well received. If it dies it will only be the mobile division that dies. Blackberry itself will be here when I'm not no doubt.
  • Only 2 phone manufactures make a profit, that being Apple and Samsung. The problem here for Blackberry, Sony and HTC is how long can they continue to lose money? I would like to see Blackberry and Sony succeed, just to keep competition and variety on offer. But it will come down to profit/loss and except for the above profit makers, it's not too promising. Add to this situation the new Chinese and Asian phone manufacturers and it looks even worse :'(
  • I purchased a priv. I've been a Lumia and win phone fan since wp7. The lack of enthusiasm for me died awhile back. I was kinda glad blackberry made priv an android but it has it's own flaws.
    Compared to windows phone OS, it's a clutter mess. U have blackberry ecosystem on it, and google, and I'm trying to add my Microsoft services on it, so it's all three email alerts, Facebook alerts, etc. I will be carrying both phones but the sim card will stay on windows phone. Cortana and every Ms is just more reliable on wp. PRIV is good for it's keyboard.
  • Yes multiple notifications are a pain. But you can with effort shut the google ones down and use the blackberry hub. It works pretty good now after the later updates. But I do love Cortana on Lumia 950. Reminders. And Groove works well, it's rubbish on android as it keeps stopping. Facebook and twitter integration is for better on Lumia.
    quiz up works better on windows 10 now .
    I think some notifications can be bit slow coming through but.
    Blackberry keyboard and virtual keyboards are the best.
    The Lumia comes in close second for it's virtual one.
  • It isn't even that hard to disable the apps you don't use. Long press on them in the app drawer, drag them to the top and click disable. The effort is minimal. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
  • Have BlackBerry Virtual Keyboard APK installed on my LG Flex 2 , it's good. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
  • LG Flex 2. A phone with no reason for existing. The wrong version of the 810 with a disappointing camera, and downgraded material on the back. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
  • The passport is such an awesome device though. I am waiting for the original, not the att released one to get a little cheaper and then I'm getting one of my own. Absolutely love it and it will keep occupied as a 2nd device to my 1520 until the Surface phone (hopefully) comes out. Also picked up a 640 for 50 bucks. Damn nice phone. Amazing you can get something like this for 50 bucks
  • Nokia should go the Android route
  • Oxymoron:
    Secure Android.
  • Cheap iphone
  • Stable Win10Mobile Posted from my Note 5
  • And coming from an Android user, that's irony.
  • It is stable, sorry.
  • ;)
  • Blackberry may not be dead now, but unlike Microsoft, it is truly dying. And it's too early to say that Android will save them. At the moment, the Priv is selling, not much but selling. The second and third Android devices from Blackberry will give us the definitive answer whether it's dying, dead, or rising from the ashes. If the sales of the succeeding devices go north, then Blackberry will live. If they go south, then Blackberry is trully dead.
  • I believe blackberry OS is dead, buy their hardware can still win new people like now that they joined forces with android. I would have preferred them use windows 10 mobile just because Microsoft is King in office products, but android is a no brainer too. More people to cater specially those who miss physical keyboards. I jumped on board because I wanna let other OEMS know that there are still keyboard lovers.
  • This is correct.
  • BlackBerry isn't forking Android. They are using Google services with some enhancements. Forking would mean they create their own platform like Amazon did. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
  • Blackberry owns QNX which powers Apple Car Play and Android Auto... so a very very long way from dead... Blackberry may not sell phones like they used to... but they have a niche market. Same as Microsoft. But what nobody realizes is that there is going to be a major shift in the way people use phones. I can see it... pity nobody else does. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
  • Love these ​AskDanWindows episode I hope you will never stop doing it becouse your Info are from good sorces
  • I don't know about dead, but I know I'm done. Been with them since 6, but my two 950's are buggy AF, and the lack of support from devs, and what sometimes seems like MS themselves, is what makes me decide to go elsewhere. Maybe in a few years, if the platform still exists, I'll give them another shot.
  • I got the 950xl, and it's works fine, but feel I should jump to Android. My work supports Windows Phone, but results and articles this week have us discussing dropping Windows Phone support. If they feel the enterprise is going to buy their phones, well not anymore. Employers don't want to ask their employees to carry phones no one wants, or to write apps for phones people don't want carry. If Nadella thought the mountain was to high when he took over, then there really is no way back after 2 years with him at the helm. At this point, I have no idea why they don't cancel Windows 10 Mobile. They'll never make their money back on it. To me, it died with (1) the death of the Android bridge, (2) the 950/XL design, (3) Windows 10 Mobile 6+ months behind Windows 10 Desktop. If they had a great 950 design, with Win10M, and Android apps by Christmas shopping season (what many of us hoped for), it would have turned the corner. Nadella is the CEO, so he owns the misses.
  • Its true. There was a time when WP was unknown and up and coming. Now its a failed mess and the weakness and lack of appeal are very well known. To gain traction now, MS would have to convince their own fan base that they are committed to... I dont even know what.
  • Pretty much agree with what you said. The ONLY way left to save it is support android apps. However if you jump to android you will be hugely disappointed with the dog breakfast ui that is android. Wp8.1 really is/was the best and most consistent ui...period
  • Can't see it dying off just yet but needs work, get windows 10 mobile in more hands and get devs on board with bringing there content over and things can take off again
  • I am really hopeless about the future of windows phone...so decided to change platform...can anyone suggest me which os will be better? ios/android?
  • Both have their pros and cons, they best way to decide is to try out both.
  • IOS is awesome becuase it's fast and has lots of apps, but iPhone is overpriced. Android is more for advanced users (not saying my grandma can't use it, because she is using it) because it's more customizable and open. Hope i helped! :D
  • I disagree. iPhone is priced just right for the market. Otherwise they wouldn't sell 75 million in the last quarter and 250 million for all of 2015. iOS is a vast mobile ecosystem. Think about how you can answer an iPhone call on your Mac and many other things. It's just an unbelievable garden of delights if you're in the Apple ecosystem and a desert in Microsoft's.
  • iPhone has only 18% of the worldwide smartphone market so their pricing is incorrect, or over priced, whichever you prefer.
  • No. Its not incorrect. And worldwide doesn't mean **** as india and china throw those numbers out. US ios has nearly 50% market share. Australia it has like 38%. UK too. Your 18% is misleading because "budget friendly" countries blow that out
  • Less to do with budget friendly, more to do with purple in international markets having to pay outright for phones. Off contract prices for the 64Gb iphone are obscenely high when compared with Android phones. That's why it's only at 18%. If the phone was priced realistically then I'd be using an iPhone too. But if it's $200 more for an iPhone then no - I'll avoid being ripped off. Posted from my Note 5
  • They are the most profitable! And that's all that matters!
  • Wrong.....what matters is the reason they are profitable I.e. IPhones. Once the iPhone sales decline then so will the profits!
  • Consumers are paying a "cool premium" for the overpriced iPhone. If they are making more profit then all Android makers combined, they are over shearing the sheep. With no more subsidized contracts in the US, let's see those sales keep up. I'm doubtful.
  •  I think they have them priced cheap. Look at the lineups at aplle stores when new iPhone or iToilet's comes out. Apple figured out how to print money, or better.
  • For powerusers go Android. I'll definitely go Android, even if I don't like Google. Oh well
  • I would go the other way. Having used both I think the app selection on iOS is better. For example iMovie on iOS is better than anything on Android. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
  • I too have raved about iMovie but Power Director and VivaVideo have really evened the playing field for content creation and making memories. One picture at a time -- LG V10
  • Android is definitely interesting and I can't wait to get my Saygus V2 to become a daily driver in addition to my iPhone 6S. my last usage of Windows Phone was August 2013. I've not regretted switching to Android back than and it's nice not having to do without apps.
  • Can't stomach the thought of Google tbh. Just something about them that I despise.
  • No. Android suffers an app gap too. So hard to find a lot of the quality apps on iOS
  • Which apps are you missing in android? Posted from my Note 5
  • If you want a completely locked down experience that will tie you to Apple in exchange for a more "stable" experience, then iOS. If you want the level of freedom Windows gives you on a PC, then Android is the obvious choice.
  • With the obvious app gap. Android suffers from this too.
  • If Android has an app gap then WP is an app black hole. Years ago yes, there was a distinct app gap between Android and IOS. Now not so much. Yes a new hot app will launch on IOS but a few weeks to a month or two later it's on Android. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
  • Which apps are these? Posted from my Note 5
  • Haha hardly a major app gap. Every single major application is on there. Sure iOS has the best and the most high quality but it's iOS and its a closed OS and not everyone wants such restrictions. Nevertheless to compare the android iOS app gap to the Windows app gap is laughable Posted via the Windows Central App for Android on my Lumia 950 XL
  • Whenever I ask that question I just remember that I would rather not use "products" supplied by the world's largest tracking, profiling, and advertising company and choose accordingly.
  • In the olden days we would kill deserters like you, you have to fight even if your the last man standing. ;P just kidding probably BlackBerry is the best one out there
  • You could give Cyanogen a try!
  • Sadly true, but is dead.
  • Grandpa hasn't die yet and you already talking abt who's gonna keep the house?? Come on man we are brothers
  • I am Grandpa and i find this offensive ;P
  • See? You pissed off grandpa!
  • what about exclusive apps from microsoft to ios and android which r still not available from win10....for eg: we r using lumia selfie and ios guys using microsoft selfie..
  • If Nokia was here .....i am pretty sure the condition of Lumia wasn't soo pathetic. If its still not dead MS will lead it to death.
  • Yes, Nokia had some real love for Lunias and WP 8.
  • Had is the key word in that sentence. They dropped Windows and are making android devices now. They will have an Android phone available as soon as they are allowed. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
  • Nokia will not make phones again. They couldn't make a profit before so how could they now? They will not be stupid enough to start losing money again! Only 2 phone manufactures make money.....Samsung and Apple.....which means every other manufacturer like Sony, HTC, Blackberry etc are losing money. Add to this situation new Chinese and Asian manufacturers and Nokia has no chance. The smartphone market is saturated and Apple have stated that iPhone sales will decrease this quarter, what chance Nokia. Yep, you are delusional on that one. Hope you've not been hanging round those meth drinkers who queue up all night for an iPhone ;)
  • They had great design and build.
  • LOL. U are joking right? Hahaha delusional or what?
  • LOL, that's what I said above and then scrolled down to your comment - delusional we agree on :)
  • It's dead because Microsoft won't do anything great for it and the community defends them while they are the 1% of the opposition even north Korea can't compare to anything in an argument for example nobody said don't remove android apps instead everybody was like better off that was Microsoft last strike they could've just had apps upgrade native after receive growing on or with the platform instead saying it only cuts windows developer this ship flopped it crashed worse then the titanic
  • Yes and I keep hearing how Facebook has a new universal app but it's coded by Microsoft which is absolutely bollocks to me. To me means that Facebook Corporation has ZERO insterest in the platform and MS is simply bribing once again to get a few key apps so they can show a slide during a keynote. I think the level of denial about the ecosystem gap between iOS and W10 Mobile is profound at Microsoft at the highest levels. Where is MS in: - Touch ID(implementation and third-party APIs) - payment solution(MS has none) - music service(Apple Music has flaws but is way better than Groove) - Health (they have Health service, but no APIs) - Home automation (MS has nothing here) - Maps(Apple Maps are considered great now) - Google apps(iOS has almost all of them and all the important ones) - the third party app chasm I could go on all day, these are just on the tip of my mind. Then they're the iPhone hardware which is second to none, the accessory market which is gigantic and all the other 3rd party stuff that integrates into iPhones. iPhone at this point has become THE prefered mobile platform solution for the planet. Why won't MS admit this and move on?
  • Sounds great so how come iPhone has only 18% of the worldwide smartphone market share! You iZombies are delusional lol
  • While I agree iSheep are delusional, you should remember that Apple products aren't for poor people. The amount of people per country able to buy an iPhone is much lower than the amounts able to buy a cheap Android device.
  • ...and going to get more exclusive in the US with no more contract subsidies.
  • Yep that it will. Now if Google doesn't f it up again with an inflated N6. There are many that might take a look at something not Apple. Oh wait what am I thinking. This is Apple, of course they'll sell their right kidney for a new iPhone 7 in sky blue onyx. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
  • You calling me an I zombie but I've never even owned an iPhone your wrong period
  • Stop repeating this. It shows you don't know what u are talking about
  • So Apple is making 94% of mobile industry profits on 18% units sold. Amazing-balls.
  • "Apple is making 94% of mobile industry profits on 18% units sold" That's because you iSheep accept rip-off prices from Apple lol.
  • Yes it's the biggest in some like Japan and have a massive chunk like in the US. Market share doesn't matter to Apple because their devices are for the high end market with hardly any low to mid range devices and they have that advantage Posted via the Windows Central App for Android on my Lumia 950 XL
  • You're joking righ? I mean, i could understand this drama of yours, if the facts were right, but...90% of them being bullcrapp i tend to scratch your eyes for a while! I could also go all day with how many lacks ios has, and how actually the system is;). But i don't bother, have no time. But to claim is a preferate mobile platform is more then extremly isolent. Now, after this claim to say that ms should give up kind of tells what kind of person you are. For you, if someone has more luck at your woman, you divorce, to understand corectly, right? I don't see why would ms give up this system. I haven't seen a blackberry in someones hand for more then five years now. And that OEM is still alive. Now windows devices are to be seen quite often, so ms should definetly not give up;).
  • Wow, such deranged drivel. I have no response.
  • The payment solution has been confirmed - the Wallet app is being updated every month or so with new payment options. If you mean something à la Apple Pay, then probably not in the near future. Microsoft does have Health APIs. In what planet is Apple Music better than Groove? App-wise, Groove is a lot more intuitive and simplified. Service-wise, Groove has a few million songs more. What Groove lacks is markets, and that needs a corporate-wide strategy change, not just a small change. Maps? Kidding me? Nokia/Here/Navteq + Bing Maps are nothing to be sneezed at. Microsoft doesn't have to home-grow everything, you know. Touch ID? Where is Apple's Hello then? Pointless. It's OK if you have moved on to Apple or never were a Windows Phone/Mobile user. It's not OK to come and spread BS.
  • Hello is pointless. Android had Hello years ago and moved away for a reason. Apple was smart enough to know that fingerprint readers are faster and easier to use. Every review of Hello says it isn't as good as a fingerprint sensor. Just a gimmick. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
  • When the hyperbolic "pointless" cones out, rarely is sound logic to follow. I use Hello, all the time. It's useful, efficient and works. Hello can also use fingerprint like it does on my laptop, but I wish the webcam on there worked like it does on my phone. Of course, I've USED Hello, so I actually know it's USE.
  • Not a single review called it efficient and most said it was the exact opposite. How is having to hold the phone right in front of your face efficient! I have face unlock on Android it is exactly the same thing. You have to hold the phone just right for it to work right. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
  • So you've read every review and not one of them used the exact wording that I did? Shocking...I must be making it up, then.  I actually don't care. MY review is that it is efficient.  Apparently your face unlock is different because mine works really well and I don't have to be too finicky with it...at all.  https://www.instagram.com/p/-hqPGNINks/
  • Windows Hello as it currently is implemented is a gimmick and actually causes usability issues with unintentional unlocks. Fingerprint reader is just better. Why did MS create a Type Cover with fingerprint sensor if that's bullshit? Even they know what's up.
  • Not gimmicky at all; I use it all day.   I don't know that the camera on all the Surface devices can do Hello, which is probably why they made a fingerprint sensor.  I also have one on my laptop.  So I guess they just like having options. Hmmmm
  • And the previous attempt by Google at this feature was totally different. You could fool it with a photo. Windows Hello is far advanced compared to previous attempts. And the great thing with Windows Hello is that it's an option. So choose Windows Hello, Password, Picture Pattern etc. The choice is there!
  • For the short time that I owned a 950, Windows Hello worked flawlessly.
  • Hmm, the only one of your points I even cared about or used was maps which I am happy with on win mobile.
  • Even the few remaining hardcore "fans" are done after this week.  Read the posts, the defenders(1% or less now) are asking which platform to go to now.  It's over.
  • Talk about yourself only my friend...
  • True..... They assume EVERY WP user has commented here lol
  • Dead...
  • Finally an episode. This week has been so boring.
  • The whole week was boring... No hobbies? Work?
  • Yes it is dead and Surface phone can't resurrect it.
  • Yes I'm amazed at all the WP fanboys salivating over a 'Surface Phone' as though that will automatically be the savior of the platform. Honestly while I like the concept of the tiles and pinning content to the start screen, MS implementation is just not good enough. I bet if Apple/Google had a real go of that they'd figure out a better way of doing it.
  • @Migi2015 - I don't personally think that the Surface Phone will feature anything groundbreaking that can't be offered in a Lumia. I think the thing with the Surface Phone is that it can be seen as a step forward and new beginning, thus doing away with the Lumia's troublesome history of late. I think that it will also give Windows Mobile 10 an opportunity to ride off the success of the Surface branding. If Microsoft really wants to succeed, they need to really push a strong marketing campaign. I'm optimistic, but do struggle to see why they haven't pushed the Lumia 950 more in the media. Maybe the 950 is simply biding time until that "new beginning". If anyone is going to do it, I have full faith in Satya's ability.
  • iPhones dead rows of icons versus pages and pages of iPhone copied dead icons and widgets..... that's the best Apple and Android can do..... MS does Live Tiles and iSheep and iCopy can't do them better because they don't have them lol
  • Android has interactive widgets and animated backgrounds (wallpapers). Windows phone has "live" tiles which you can't interact with. I love my Lumia but come on, even Symbian Belle had interactive widgets.
  • I don't find a use in interactive widgets;). And there are many like me;)
  • You can't find a use for music controls on the home screen or a scrollable list of texts or appointments? How do you find a use for Live Tiles. Even if they just so happen to show you relevant information, you cannot act on that information or find it easily. I don't know how many times in saw an article or post on a Live Tiles then couldn't find it in the app. Horrible experience. Their is a reason Windows Phone and Windows 8 are so hated. It wasn't the kernel, I can guarantee you that! Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
  • @bleachead...not sure what apps you are using. Just disproved what you said with the news app, Cortana and email app.
  • I mostly had the issue with Facebook and the news app. I would see something on the tile and wouldn't be able to easily find it in the app and it certainly doesn't bring you directly to the content. No matter what you have to hope it is easy to find. The same thing in an Android widget would bring you directly to the email or article you clicked on. It isn't just be a fancy looking icon. It would actually be useful. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
  • That! Thanks for putting the have before if...my 950XL is more damn alive than any of the grid locked OSs out there. So yeah, gtfo if you don't like to be part of different, freeloaders ;)
  • You are still stuck in a locked grid! You cannot create a tile in any other way but a grid. Only Android gives you a truly customizable interface. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
  • That's where you're half right. You can customize Android so much as to where you don't even see a dead app icon or widget. Look up the Flow Home launcher for Android and see what I mean. A beautiful, gorgeous tile based interface that plugs into social media services and brings the content to you "at a glance." Its more beautiful that Windows tile interface though limited in that content is automatically populated and you can't pin things. Android can really be what you want it to be almost. One picture at a time -- LG V10
  • And these widgets and launchers etc work perfectly on Android? Not in my experience. Whereas W10 has its beta issues, but in general is clean and works flawlessly.
  • I never said they worked perfectly. What I did say is that the options and ability to change the interface drastically is present. And there are plenty of great launchers and widgets that work very well and in some cases a lot better than wanting to show a friend your photo gallery and having to wait for the tiles on the start screen to load up(happened to me in WP8.1). You guys always deflect the attention to something else instead of facing reality. Please save a response when you can manually turn on hdr or do a panorama in the stock camera app. One picture at a time -- LG V10
  • @2tomtom....yep, crazy how I hit the home button, gaze at my live tiles and get info without touching an app on m 950xl...
  • Simply, easy, clean and minimalistic - just beautiful in its own way.
  • There are several Windows Phone launchers for Android that replicates all the live tile for Android for s best perfect WP experience in Android. You obviously have not looked on YouTube under "Windows Phone launchers for Android".
  • Out of the mouths of babies and stupid people.
  • I think that WP users may be a bit spoiled. There haven't been any real news for a couple of months and suddenly everybody thinks WP is dead. Back when WP 8 was being updated to 8.1, there was a sensation of hope and of great things to come. Now WM10 is two months late and suddenly everybody is shouting doom.
  • It's not that W10M is late, it's that it's horrible.
  • Rows and rows of dead icons are horrible.
  • Do you stare at your home screen hoping it will give you the information you need? Even on iOS the icons aren't dead. They actually give you notification counts and allow you to access the app with one click. If you want your home screen to be useful, then Android is by far the best. That is not an argument Windows Phone can win. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
  • The point being I don't need to access the app with 1 flick. Android with launchers and widgets to try and make the UI attractive does not work. The widgets and launchers are not reliable. And you would know that.
  • I have to agree with that. Technically it is a good OS. But the looks are behind the competition. The first rging a new user notices is the UI - start screen, live tiles. Well, the tiles ARE NOT LIVE ENOUGH! they should make them completely interactive. Then all kinds of widgets and gadgets would be possible. Even now it is very difficult to program a simple clock tile - clock hands need to be prerendered for each minute, each hour. Where is "live" in that? Yes, I agree with you. No gadgets = live tiles suck.
  • McLaren...
  • It's dead Jim.
  • "Bones, you're an idiot! Do something!" Haha
  • Windows Phone is like a Tribble - it will survive, but it has no differentiating features. Actually it has no features at all. Ok I'm in a dark mood because a friend told me today that he had jumped ship. On a second thought, it has new features. It's just sad that they're not very attractive or not advertised enough.
  • No features at all? Lol
  • They discovered the android subsystem in the latest PC build so maybe project astoria is coming back ask him about this
  • Dead!!! No not dead...
  • What a beast of a machine you got there at your back Dan.
  • Despite the smooth OS it's completely absurd that Microsoft is building all kind of goodies voor iOS and Android but it is probably to much to ask to built descent apps for Windows 8.1 / 10 mobile. Most apps ain't from the original developer so quality and the way it looks is most of the times far below zero.
  • No. It's not.
  • After spending almost 5yrs with windows phone I think the time has come to say bye to this platform for sometime. Such a wonderful OS but I don't think it will survive anymore. Right now I have L630 & L640xl. I will spend sometime with Android & see how WM OS grows. Can't take this pain anymore.
  • Lol! take painkillers.
  • I have been taking :D Nimusulides
  • Mine is sure alive!
  • They need to come up with something game changing. Continuum is a nice try. They need to keep pushing innovation like that. They won't succeed as a me-too device producer.
  • I'm with a XL and it is sooooo nice...how come it is dead? You guys are bashing only...
    Blabkabla aps...for me it is very nice phone, better twitter, better YouTube, better picture, nice email, great battery, nice looks, mtalk for forums, have Waze, office, onedrive, weather apps...etc etc
  • +950XL...my international version has not let me down yet contrary to other "experiences". Clearly, the truth is out there :D
  • Are joking? There is not YouTube app the official,twitter is mediocre and waze don't work
  • It's not dead. Project Islandwood has not even been released yet.  Once this is fully released the bank apps and most of the major apps should jump on board since they will have access to the growing Windows tablet market then Windows phone will be the beneficiary.
  • Hope it happens soon :(
  • Too much Prozac?
  • MS Mobile business appears to be dead. Should the upcoming Surface Phone be called Surface Tablet or Surface Notebook?
  • Surface Window?
  • Funny how Rubino says 'if you are a Microsoft Mobile fan, it might bug you, but it doesn't bother me'. He also uses an iPhone as his daily driver. 2+2? I now get his unbridled optimism for Windows Mobile- it probably was in his job description.
  • This.
  • 950 is my daily driver, iPhone on secondary line.
  • Thanks, Dan...that should clear up the gossip waters for few posts to come :D
  • You do get to try out new stuff like live video on Facebook or the newest apps. Maybe I should get an older iPhone and use it as a WiFi powered device, just to play with the all the new stuff.
  • Or keep your older Nokia and get a newer iPhone. Posted from my Note 5
  • Just funny thing no? windows mobile it's going to die no apps, the development been very hard to do plus insiders not doing their job and msft not even supporting the product they have, of they have an big delay in time time schedule why not released 8.1.2 in the wait and release few phones
  • He doesn't use the iPhone as his daily driver
  • Video not found... Ok? Come on...
  • It's interesting reading all the comments that suggest with great conviction that Windows Phone is dead. I cannot personally see why Microsoft would continue development (and waste such large amounts of money) if this were the case. I used to be an organizational psychologist and was brought in to save two big companies that were on the verge of bankruptcy. Everyone at the time felt that these companies were doomed, but with a new vision and several changes, both slowly (but surely) got back up on their feet, and now operate with multi-million dollar contracts each year. Now, I'm not suggesting I was anything brilliant (or that I could save Microsoft), but Microsoft has the money and resources to resurrect Windows Mobile from where it is right now. I think that things like killing off the Lumia branding (and history) and starting afresh; as well as spending large amounts on marketing could indeed prove quite beneficial for Microsoft. Microsoft (like Apple) is a company that has constantly been able to reinvent itself throughout the years, and I personally believe that this is just another opportunity to do so. People will always use mobile phones and connected devices, so should Microsoft desire, there is great potential to tap into this market. I think (personally) after Windows Mobile 10 is released, they need to start targeting the major developers and pouring both cash and staffing resources into bringing apps to the OS. Things like Project Astoria appear to be a quick fix approach IMO. Before you brand me as a Windows Phone fan, I'd just as happily go to Android.
  • Closing Soon™
  • Lol! A new trademark.
  • I'm chose Windows Phone 7 and 8 because I wanted to be the underdog. Maybe a poor choice. Oh well.
  • I don't really care if it dies. I may revert back to dumb phone soon. Well, I still have a working BB bold 99XX that still works very fine incase MS decide to slaughter Windows on the phone. However, I will be the last person to spend so much on the current set of Lumia 9X0. Windows 10 is unripe, Windows phone was handicapped. I will still be here, but like I said, I can no longer spend more than 400 Euros on a Phone with Windows on it or any phone whatsoever the OS. It's just not worth it.
  • I don't think Continuum is an USP that will have people flocking into MS herd. People hardly use universal apps on desktops, why would they crave them so much to get a phone, too. I think the whole idea of OneCore is misguided, they are pushing together things that do not want to be together. It costs them a lot of energy and resources and it's not done on desktops and mobile phones either. To me it looks like a promised deus ex machina that should save mobile phones, but I don't think it's going to deliver. You still need to make an additional effort for mobiles, that, given now even more decimated WP market share, everybody will think twice about. Maybe it would be easier to come up with Intel based phones and forget about the ARM affair. Cutting down something that more or less works might be easier than re-implementing it again.
  • I still have faith in W10 mobile even though I get irritated with all the bugs my 950 is experimenting sometimes. Jumping ship when iPhone 7 drop this year, starting to miss alot of apps that I need for daily use...
  • Was it ever really alive?
  • My 950xl sais so;).
  • Is dan talking about windows phone(wp8.1) being dead or windows 10 mobile...? cuz i thought w10m is the evolution of wp....    
  • W10M is nothing more than WP10. It's the entire platform that's dead, no matter what version.
  • Entire windows platform? So Microsoft should just give up on Windows as a whole? LOL...yes I actually laughed out loud
  • "entire Windows Phone platform". Which is separate from the Windows platform. You should learn to read in context ;)
  • Arrrggghhhh.....sick of hearing the same old thing. It's a damned OS / Phone. It's not your dog dying by the fire. If it's dead, then off you go and don't let the door hit you on the butt on the way out! I'm no fan boy but this it wearing very thin. If it's dead, it was good whilst it lasted, and we will have the choice of two, also buggy, OS's. As for win10m, I use it on a 1320, and it works fine for that device, so I am stumped as to how these reports of bugs come about. What are you doing?? I agree the 950/950xl were rushed out, with an unpolished OS. Big Mistake. But TP .63 works really well on all devices I have it on. So, rather than moan, constantly, give us a wave and we'll wish you well. Just don't forget, the grass isn't always greener....
  • You sure are treating it like a pet with this salty post. If it isn't that important why bother with such a heartfelt post eh? You must be one of the diehards. How cute. Posted from my Note 5
  • To runs good in all phones except Lumia 520
  • Windowsmobil not Dad nie und nimmer !!!
  • Gut...sehr gut! Danke :)
  • the 950xl is gorgeous...I can't believe there is so much negativity for this phone out there...it is literally the best windows phone i've used.. iris scanner is my favorite feature on it...love this phone!!!! fast, fluid, responsive, great screen and an exceptional camera... I upgraded from 920.
  • The Lumia 950 has the build quality, stability and speed of a Samsung from 3 years ago. Imagine if you used a real modern phone! Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
  • The negativity here is so strong that you get cancer just by glancing over the comments.
    Funny because since I bought my 950XL I'm having a blast, Its a great device!
    I'm sure as **** not going back to android and I'm not paying for a crappy overpriced iphone with old hardware.
  • Relax, most of this "complainers" are in fact some ios/android users that like to bash and would be happy to see the system out. Even tough, they won't get a dime out of this. This people are also the neighbours that try to kill you for being to happy. No biggie, you can show them the finger that lays in the middle.
  • I never could get why either. Competition means better products and more competitive prices. A clear win for consumers. But do these fools get it? No they don't.
  • Yes, Xl is great, those people are crazy to have one too. :)
  • Half way through the comments and my 950xl refuses to scroll down any more and cortana opens groove due to all the hostility in here oh my...
  • Right there with you! :-)
  • Yes, but someone from MS should become a necromancer to bring it back to life.
  • It's not dead but it will if they continue with their stubbornnes to push different UX experience than big 2. They should offer launcher that will include dock icons and possibility to get rid of the tiles - simple icon grid with notifications. App design guideliness should be very close to android and ios. And at the end it should go "on air" polished without zillion bugs....
  • Sure Windows Phone its dead. ....... Because now will be era of Windows Mobile!
  • PRECISELY!!!!!
  • Windows phone is not dead nor will it die. Those in the market space that do not like Microsoft are quick to write them off, not understanding that market share can decline for every one in the space overnight. Once people see the benefits of Windows Phone as a platform for business and normal use. Exposure is what the platform needs right now complete will hardware to showcase it.
  • What's dead is Rubino's haircut.... Just kidding....
  • Haha bad joke dude.
  • Looking on the new Lumias I think Windows Phone is almost death.. I will try Sailfish OS
  • Mine isn't. Working fine in fact. So no.
  • I'd definitely reconsider staying with windows phone if they would bring apps to WP just as they are for facebook , twitter , ect.
  • Dead ? Not yet. Under development, & being updated yes. I went through this with W7, w8.0 and currently on W8.1 mobile t-mobile 640 Which I love ❤ and is rock solid. Yes the ride has been bumpy at times, and a little frustrating but I am very happy. With the progress with W 10 mobile and caushesly optimistic about the future. If is doesn't work out I still have my Nokia A6 Symbian phone with wi-fi calling on t-Mobil to fall back on if needed. Can't wait to get a 950 or 950 xl after is save up for it $$. U ​
  • let's see, i'm on my 6th windows phone, i love it, despise iphones, am slightly less negative about nexus per se but google is evil. on my windows phone i use phone, text messaging, email, web surfing, information lookups from cortana, maps, music player, weather, calcuclator, and office. i use no ggogle or apple products. there is nothing else i need or particularly want. so if all 3rd party apps go away it would't obther me a bit.
  • Same here for the most part!
  • Not dead officially but it is in comma which means almost dead now but there is a hope to revive or maybe will die soon !
  • I will say this. I have been using Windows 10 Mobile for a while now, and I just switched to a WM8.1 phone for a while, and was amazed at how much smoother and more polished the operating system is. W10 Mobile has so many nice and convenient features, but man is it clunky
  • I like windows 10 though. But setting menu is much more convenient in 8.1, it is just crap in w10m
  • BAHAHA... u are joking right??? NOONE thinks that.
  • WP 8.1 GDR 2 has so awesome setting,and of course fast
  • If everything about wp10 were as much better than wp8.1 as the Settings App, 10 would blow 8.1 out of the water and slam it into the moon. Wait. Did I state that correctly...
  • Yeah man, you did it!! \m/
  • Missing question: Is the new Windows Central App dead ?
  • Of course. Any doubt....???
  • ok Dan regarding question "Why is Microsoft pushing back the rollout date for Windows 10 Mobile" is it fair to push out Lumias 550, 950 and 950 XL with not finished product? I mean Windows 10 Mobile?
  • Until Microsoft announce that they are scrapping it like RT then it's not over no and I will stick with my Lumia 950 XL until then.
  • Requiem aeternam dona ets, Domine,
    et lux perpetua luceat est.
    Te decet hymnus, Windows Phone, in Windows Central,
    et tibi reddetur votum in Redmond.
    Exaudi orationem meam,
    ad te omnis caro veniet. 
    Requiem aeternam dona est, Domine,
    et lux perpetua luceat est.
  • Different language, probably same crap :)
  • If you dont' understand Latin and aren't educated enough to recognise Mozart's Requiem when you see it...I'm sorry. I'll try something from Miley Cyrus next time ;)
  • Omfg your self righteousness is so sad. Wow u know latin...a dead language. How ******* educated of you. Go find somewhere else to jerk off over yourself. Loser
  • People too lazy to even Google nowadays. DJ really should stick to beiber or miley lyrics for the likes of you. Posted from my Note 5
  • @DJCBS, LOL, that is too dramatic dude....
  • Nice concept bro! :P (kidding)
  • Is windows phone dead? Maybe the name. Microsoft purchased the Surface Phone domain for a reason. That will be the last ditch effort, but I have confidence in that team with what they have done with the Surface line. They should be a strong third in the mobile line up and actually be relevant.
  • For Microsoft to become relevant they would need something new and revolutionary. The same failed interface and paradigm from the previous 5 years will not suffice. I guarantee they will not have a Surface Phone out this year because it will not be ready and they won't have anything special for it to stand out. I bet they will end up killing it like McLaren or Surface Mini. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
  • Wow. Coming from someone using Android....shocking. By end of year they will announce a surface phone and it will bring something to the table like their tablets/laptops. Panos knows what he is doing.
  • How is this an Ask Dan when Dan is not answering any questions?
  • Video, fam
  • Windows Phone will continue... I trust Microsoft
  • 6 feet under
  • If that's so, then what are you still doing here?
  • Lumia 950 XL spec
    1) Qualcomm MSM8994 Snapdragon 810, octa-core processor 1.5 Cortex-A53 & 2.0 GHz Cortex-A57(dual CPU)
    2) IQ Built-in wireless charging
    3) Fast 2 Hours charging
    4) HD 5 MP wide angle front camera, 1080p video
    5) 20 MP wide angle main camera, 4K video
    6) 3 GB RAM
    7) Maximum memory MicroSD size: 200 GB
    8) User data storage: In device, OneDrive cloud storage, App and data storage on memory card
    9) Flash type: 3 Led Natural flash
    10) FM radio
    11) liquid cooler
    12) Video zoom, Optical image
    13) Lumia Rich Recording with four microphones
    14) Materials: Free of PVC, Contains recycled metals, Free of nickel on the product surface, Free of BFR
    15) system and charging connection: USB-C
    16) WiFi or HDMI windows 10 (simulated and multitask) with mouse and keyboard display on TV and with phone still working.
    17) Biometric authentic method to login. * Microsoft office and the edge browser work faster then demonstrated as CPU is Octa-core. As OS determine the processes. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=F6I3w488byU
  • You make us all yawn...
  • Awwwwhmmmm!!!! :s
  • Ms needs to communicate way better to its customers. If Windows mobile is dead, just announce it and tell it how it is. If Windows mobile is not dead, then reassure the customers and stick to its commitment. In either case customers prefer honesty and won't be mad or anxious at MS.
  • WP is dead. Long live Windows 10 Mobile!!! LOL seriously, the jury is still out so it's too early to say whether WP is dead or not. But probably in a year or two, we will be able to definitively know whether it's truly dead or not.
  • MSWM10 has been dead already in its Insider form...along with its creator! U wake up before it's too late.
  • Windows 10 is only out for 3 phones so far? It's not out for current phones yet. How can it be dead? The software bridges are not completed yet for porting apps. Use common sense.
  • If it's true that Windows Mobile is dead Carlos, then what are you doing sticking around here? Do you have nothing better to do with your life than hang around on a site talking about a dead thing telling everyone about how dead it is? If you were ever able to convince me that things were so hopeless, I'd say "peace" and be onto much better uses of my time. I'm only still here because I still believe in Windows 10 and Windows 10 mobile. I believe that is the only rationale for being here that doesn't fall under the category of "pathetic" So again, why are you even here?
  • Goooo Mann!!! Get an iPhone :D :p
  • Absoutely, I'd prefer to have WP8.1 on this piece of junk 950.
  • I can absolutely guarantee that, whatever it will be called, the next "brand" of phone from Microsoft will NOT stand out from the crowd.  There will be NOTHING remarkable about it.  Mark my words.
  • Why should I "mark your words"? You're a nobody.
  • LOL!
  • .....and yet.....you're still here, wasting your life (and ours) telling everybody just how dead this dead thing is all while clinging to your precious Windows 8 which ACTUALLY IS dead!
  • Ii think most iphone ppl are just scared that ms il do it great in the future so they hope it will fail and dont get me wrong i got all 3 platforms and they all have good things and bat things,
  • What are you talking about, dude
  • Lol smoked pot, man,
  • Don't be emotional bro! Drink some beer. Chill ;)
  • I see them killing the Windows Phone and coming out with a Surface Phone
  • You got a telescope bro? :D
  • MS needs to come out with Windows Mobile 10.1
  • WM10.1?? Let them polish WM 10 first
  • The duopoly is boring and influenced by idiots so, the whole market is stagnant. Mobile payments are the most interesting thing about smartphones for the past three years, not that everyone is comfortable with that feature given Android and iOS's security flaws.
  • But there is all the apps unlike windows phone and also Microsoft itself is killing it the next phone from them "surface" once wouldn't be sold to general public just to enterprises , like did blackberry and that was how wrecked
  • polished or not? there is no downside NOW- get insiders  Polished? wait.    isnt this better for everyone   
  • Some things can't be polished. MS keeps rebooting the OS, it had more reboots than W95 on a bad day. So instead of improving the OS step by step and getting somewhere, they throw out everything and start from scratch. No wonder they got nowhere, all that energy wasted on reinventing a wheel.
  • What if the other two major players actually bribing some of the critical developers to keep their apps away from windows or at least half finished? Just wondering, if I am an illusionist or here we have a conspiracy theory to keep the windows phone market share in a single digit?
  • That is what Google do, pay to devs to keep exclusivity ,
  • I definitely believe that!
  • Now where I go? Motorola is dead and nexus is out of budget and I don't want to buy iPhone only for showoff. I am really confuse
  • Android is pretty nice advanced OS, you can buy high end phone, nd rock it
  • Go for Moto Turbo bro!! Rs 12500/- only, in flipkart. Moto got a new life with Lenovo.
  • I hate to be the unrealistic optimist, but I have no worries one way or the other. I'll take good photos in the mean time.
  • I also blame Nokia, which made way too many variants , and the number system carryover is still bad. I have a 640 now, have had all the high ends , and this so far is my favorite. You really get it all, in a very nice inexpensive package(I paid 30 bucks, no contract) or I could spend how much on an 830 or 950? To gain what extras, aside from.cam? Not much. And i feel those others actually look cheaper! Once they greatly reduce the number, simplify the name, and make it sexy as hell ala the surface,we will see the adoption rates increase dramatically!
  • I moved after many years from galaxy S3 and android to my new phone 640XL , it feels like fresh air and the phone never lags, unlike the previous one. Windows mobile 10 is not an entirely new operating system but there's nothing now to prevent the user to have the same fluid experience as in the other platforms. I am confident, by the time Facebook and snapchat offer an application equivalent to iOS or android many people and especially women will give the os a try.
  • The Galaxy S3 is now 4 generations behind! Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
  • Actually, we speak about two phones that their specs are around the same (s3 cpu a little bit faster 1.4 Ghz > 1.2 Ghz) and the latter is definitely faster in comparison.
  • Ouch. But, as long as the cameras continue to be superior (and they are), I'll stick with WinPhone
  • Do they have a camera in the top 10? I don't see one! http://www.dxomark.com/Mobiles/Column-right/Mobile-Scores There are so many phones that are better than even the 1020. Megapixels are not a measurement of quality. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
  • They have not even tested L950/950XL...... Get thing right......
  • Until then, they don't have a phone in the top 10 or 20. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
  • Windows one is surely not dead. I was in total madness with the recent build on my Lumia 520. But after cumulative update, my windows 10 experience in 520 is very much near perfection. Lags are very much near extinction ! That is what i like !
    Talking about the app gap, Islandwood will become a success and I still believe in a much powerful surface phone !!
  • To me been with a 520 backwards an horrible experience
  • WP may be dead, but W10 lives.
  • Not dead. As MS says, won't be competing for top spot but is part of a bigger picture. A complete OS ecosystem. Like wise their PC App market is not exactly saturated with Apps so they're not gonna kill off windows too are they?. They're making big bucks on Windows 10 and don't think they really give a **** whether Clash of Titans or Snapchat comes on board. Having said that they'll most probably scale back on the mobile division and will stick to their original plan for the 3 groups.
  • Then of were that the case go back to an basic phone for just do calls and wrote text messages
  • Whatever happened to those interactive live tiles Microsoft was working on? The ones that were supposed to be part of the cancelled Maclaren phone.
  • "Cancelled" key word.
  • It might not be totally dead yet, but it is on life support. The biggest mistake Microsoft has made was not changing the UI after it failed the first couple times. They are releasing the same thing again with Windows Mobile and it will fail juts the same. Until they have a new UI paradigm, it will never work. The insisted on changing the kernel when the obvious issue was the UI. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
  • The UI was part of what drew people to the platform in the first place. Not a lot of people but more than if it was an Android or iOS clone which W10M is.
  • The UI didn't bring that many people in then. Certainly not enough drive the ecosystem. It didn't bring more than 3% of the market. Microsoft had to drop the UI. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
  • Windows phone may be dead, but I expect the 6" Surface Pro Mini with LTE and GSM support to get rave reviews as a new category defining innovation
  • Its in intensive care..... Waiting for 10 mobile though.
  • Wow... Okay... I have been a long term Android fan (first Android device...HTC HERO)... and I've had an IPhone (so I can give a balance perspective between the OS battle).. I've, along the way, owned a blackberry, a Firefox device and a couple of ' dumb' phones.
    I've recently purchased (a big decision as money is very stretched) a Lumia 950 as my main device for the next few years. I was tempted by the Nexus 6P but went for the Lumia..... Something about Windows 10 that appealed on a mobile.
    I really like the WM OS but this mobile needs some serious updates..... It randomly re-starts itself, the video recording is so frustrating because it regularly stutters on playback (no matter what definition setting) and icons disappear randomly and my SD card (a decent, high quality card) seems to randomly not be recognised.
    The screen is lloovveellyy and the live tiles are amazing but, for a flagship, and not cheap, device, I can't help feel a bit disappointed and let down by Microsoft.
    It is frustrating to not have all the apps (cooperative bank, Instagram is still in beta, Facebook is a bit naff etc etc yes, there are some amazing alternatives... 6Tag, Tweetium, MyTube but it's so frustrating to not feel like Microsoft are bothered about WM!!
    For a 'flagship' device where I've taken a big financial, and 'product loyalty', step, I can't help but feel a bit deflated and disappointment.
    The app gap I can tolerate but it's not acceptable to have random phone restarts, rubbish video recording and memory card issues.... Yes on a £50 - not on a £450 device.
  • You invested in a dying ecosystem? Could have waited for the reviews first mate. Could have tried out W10 on a 550/640 first. Dropping big bucks for faulty software and poor design is ballsy of you. Posted from my Note 5
  • Ha ha!! Yup... Spazzmeister (love the name!!) .... Should have waited for the reviews!! I kind of knew it would be a bit buggy (had an insider build on my old 640) but really liked the look of the 950.... My work laptop has windows 10 and was quite looking forward to the Cortana cross over between computer and mobile (coming from a big mightytext user)....
    Windows 10 mobile is just not quite there yet. For budget devices, WM is absolutely amazing and, I think, is the best OS in that market. For the latest high end device, it's just not worth the asking price....
  • Are you saving video (and other stuff) to the SD card? I haven't put an SD card in our 950 and video has been flawless, so it may be the SD card causing issues. I had similiar problems on Surface Pro 3 until I tried another card.
  • Yeah.... Have tried saving videos to phone but I still have the same issues.....
  • I like these #askdanwindows. They feel honest. And not ducking the "is the Windows phone dead" question was very good. It would have been easier to not mention anything
  • Bundle Windows phone with PCs, tablets and XBONE, and market UWP apps and continuum
  • I am not a fanboy, but I love The Windows Phone 10 experience I have a 550 Lumia and it's a great phone. It doesn't have all the high tech features the other ones have but it's really good and I do hope that Microsoft continues to build the system and Bill phones as well.
  • I ain't leaving WP, I love it. I also own an iphone, but prefer to use my L930. It's just so much easier to navigate around. I just hope that Microsoft don't give up.
  • Oh, I'll leave Windows 10m... but not without a real reason. Right now I am buying in to the 'future plan' and to be honest I only have one option if I should go as I refuse Apple full stop. So hopefully 2016 should be an interesting year...
  • Fk all.. Im going back to basics and getting a flip phone .ios nor google nor Ms will get my biz. Lol..
  • Hahaha Moto razor :D
  • That 650 is a great looking phone.
  • Why? Why would someone down vote this comment?
  • How do we get that awesome Satya poster?
  • Bing it ;) don't use google :P
  • I don't care if Windows phone is dead. I'll use it as long as it exists. I don't even care if smartphones die. I want to see what's next. I want to see what comes after smartphones.
  • It's only dead if my phone (L830) doesn't work anymore...
  • My question is why do we want Windows Phone to be dead? I have a 950 and the phone is glitchy, but it does everything I need a phone to do...and some. But what surprises me is the comments by the people who seem to like the OS. It feels like you want the platform to fail. Knowing that we will be stuck with iOS and Android which to me is the same phone...icons on a screen...I would think we would be fighting to see this different OS survive. But no...I find that odd. I personally need WP to live because I really don't like icons on a screen. I laugh every time there is a new launcher released on Android because it's usually the same format with different looking icons and different swipe features, but in the end...icon on a screen...so Windows 3.1. LOL. If for nothing else than to have options, WP is alive and is becoming. It's only dead to those who want it dead, like Apple, Google, and their respected fans. To a WP user who likes the OS it's alive and becoming.
  • Your comment is so fragmented it makes no sense. Please re-read it and edit.
  • How the hell are live tiles not different to Icons on a screen? FFS I had every high end Nokia Lumia and was promised it will get better, then got the Lumia 950xl, guess what I'm waiting for it to be better! So sick of Microsoft using us ( the consumers ) as testers for their undercooked WM os. Looking at alot of comments on here and the majority of you guys must be delusional if you think WM10 is ready. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
  • New Mobile Nations sign off in the video! :O Posted via the Windows Central App for Android because the one on my Lumia 550 sucks! :)
  • Yesterday (sunday) I went to bangalore Microsoft priority store (mantra mall) . I was the only one to enter the store while all other shops were abuzz with people. So yea, interest had dwindled alot
  • Smart guy
  • Hauda Anna? :D
  • This is one of the reasons I keep coming to Windows Central. While I think there is a little fanboying in some answers, for the most part, Dan just answers the questions without trying to couch his answers to blow smokoe up the readers' collective butts.
  • It all comes down to one app.. If Windows Mobile had Snapchat, sales would be higher, MUCH higher. Kids these days buys phones for the apps, not the design or specs.
  • Without mention an YouTube and Google suite too
  • I use PerfectTube, an exellent YouTube client :)
  • I've been using W10m for the past couple of months with my Lumia 735 and everything is good... except one thing. I have 1 app that constantly fails to start... every now and then it starts but on the whole it fails... and it is Candy Crush. So, really, who gives a f@#k? Yes it is annoying but if that is as bad as it gets, then I don't care. There are so many benefits to running W10m that the small issues are null and void. I don't care about the sales figures or if said devices are on display... because that is Microsoft's problem, not mine and I don't care what others use or have... I think about me and what I want and when I look I do my research and I make my choices. That being said, I may see if I can get a 930 for cheap... Otherwise I'll for said 'Surface Phone'.. Not just for the device but for MS's intent...
  • W10 PC is good and better then windows 8. W10M is okay, however it's in a market of great and thus fails miserably. W10 for desktop doesn't have much competition and thus dominates. I think I will stick it out with my Lumia 735 for a bit longer and then try IOS for the first time ever. And to be clear, this 735 is a great phone and functions well. It's my daily driver, but the app gap and the quality of the current apps sucks. Fox sports go doesn't even work and alot of other apps fail constantly. Microsoft created the track Santa app for Christmas and it didn't even work. It's half ass with mobile for some reason because W10 pc and Xbox One are high quality. Not enough market share means less resources and quality control. Oh and to make this choice easier Microsoft has made sure that their office products function even better on iOS and Android lol.
  • What's the point of making phones for the fans when everything great about WP will end up on Android an iOS anyway? I could see Microsoft putting our Android phones with a custom version of Android that looks and behaves like Windows 10 Mobile. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
  • That would actually be kinda cool. I know that arrow launcher is kind of that same idea.
  • it is what it is. it is unpopuar.
  • Everyday I see lots of good reviews of the Lumia 950 XL. Especially in the camera department.
  • The hardware and phones are great. It's that damn app market and their quality that kills it. W10M will end up being just as stable or better than 8.1, I have no doubt. Look at the massive improvement from when they first released W10M to now..... But those apps are hit or miss and been missing alot in the quality department. The actual hardware and W10 base are quality surrounded by crap.
  • Be loyal to your customers and you'll resurrect
  • Apps are the issue, two of my converts have left for android, main reason being the facebook app. Both have businesses and where I live a business facebook page is the means of advertising and communication. The wp facebook app doesn't support that good enough. I got my daughters a WP, they are eagerly awaiting the day that their phone dies so they can switch to android. I can't blame them, I haven't seen any decent updates on my WP 8.1 apps for the last year or so. And MS shows no sign of commitment through their actions. The 950 could have been the breaking point, a lot of people around me were ready to make the switch, some even tried. But the experience on the 950 was below par and the few people who tried returned their phone and went back to android. All the blogs are full of complaining 950 users. For that reason I am hanging on to my 1520, and, with great dislike my next phone will probably be running IOS or android. I have no confidence in MS that they will get their act together, ever. And MS have only themselves to blame. If MS treats their business partners the way they treat loyal WP users, I understand why some many companies refuse to make WP apps.
  • I purchased the Lumia 950xl and love it, but its over !!!! Windows phone is dead to me and it made me cry to purchase a new apple 6s. I need the apps. I have had every Lumia but cant rely on good hardware anymore...
  • Microsoft get well soon... Waiting for your Windows 10 update for Lumia 830...
  • No Nops Never , Windows phone is Simple and Best phone who teaches us " About Life Simplicity and Uniquely
  • Windows phone is not dead...Just wait for windows 10 mobile...
    It's a cream
  • Windows mobile is great, i have the lumia 950xl and it's awesome. There is only one problem... Windows 10 mobile Phone os was come to fast and have many bugs. The hardware from the lumia 950 xl is amazing and i al supose the best on the market at this moment. Give microsoft credit time so they can making the os much netter and than is the lumia 950 and the XL absolute the killer smartphone from 2016. Trust a bit more in Microsoft. Also a big fat ++++ is that the price much power is than a iPhone 6s plus. I have paid for the lumia 950xl 699 € and 104 € for the biggest sandisk micro sd ultra from 200 gb that's mean that i have for 803 € a topphone with 232gb memory. For a iPhone 6s plus 128 gb you must pay more than 1100 €.
  • As a owner I wouldn't recommend 930. It is full of hardware bugs (many display issues, heating, microphone fails) and it is very fragile.
  • I was just thinking yesterday with Cortana and other office apps on iPhone and android. Why would anyone buy a WP? I really can't think of another WM10 feature I regular use beside Cortana and excel. Also I thought the WP Mango update was suppose to save WP. Lol.
  • that thing about ms not sacrificing the wm10 apps is a lie. i dont belive there is a such thing ios team or android team, besides w10 team. why is w10m so awful? ill give you my 2 cents. inside ms, regarding os and apps, there are several teams: w10, and other services related, such as skype team, outlook team, and so on. windows team is divided in more sub teams. but since the unification of windows under the hood of 10, guess what members have been reallocated? yep, those from w10m. thats why w10m is moving so slow, because there are very few left in that team, which are responsible with only adjusting the w10 for mobile, and all the big work is done by w10pc team, which guess what, does everything thinking first at pc, and second at mobile and the rest of skus. yes, sometimes the teams do something specific directly for phones, such as continuum for phones, and some small things like improving the phone-specific features, but thats all. on the rest of the work day, w10m team is only adjusting things, fixig bugs that come with the big code, and so on. to sum up, we could say that in a parallel universe, where w10 would have a different meaning and wouldnt be unified, ms would have scrapped the w10m, because the team needed would have been too big. moving forward to apps teams, lets take outlook team as an example. they need to deliver apps for ios, android, and w10 generally. firstly, to some point, is understandable, that the work for the other platforms is faster and smoother. they just have to deploy apps that work with the current os, they dont need to bother with what may come next there, because they will do that when apple or google realease the new version of os. on w10 on the other hand, i guess they consult very often with the other teams so sometimes they need to work accordingly with what is coming inside of w10 since the work inside of w10 is much bigger than inside the small iterations that come with ios updates or android's. but secondly, they still work too slow for w10, even with all that changes that come inside w10 so fast. and that slow pace is again because it is not their priority. why bother too much for w10, when pc is only that counts and ppl on pc already have the good ol' website of the service and ppl from mobile are very few, so they dont count anyway. so thats with ms services and their lack of features on ms' own platform. and btw, even if the first case of app teams working slow because of the fast changes inside of w10 is understandable, it is STILL ms' fault. they should do that underlying changes inside w10 faster AND more organised (which they dont, look how they pushed some features of Redstonde because there is still some under the hood work that needs to be addressed). thats it, sorry for my bad english.
  • Not for me.
  • Very soon Nokia will also enter the market and one day Nokia may buy Microsoft phone division... Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
  • Big boys are coming back :)
  • Window 10 phones are dead. Old tech, unstable releases and no customer focus. MS screwed up. It's phones are left in the dev channel. This doesn't mean it's phones are still alive. RIP windows 10 phones.
  • I see it this way. Microsoft was late to the game on mobile, we all know that. They tried to catch up, but to no avail. During this process, Microsoft figured out that having multiple operating systems developed for discrete devices was a lot of nonsense. So they tried to change the game with Windows 8. And they did. We now have the Surface/Pro/Book and all their competitors because of it. None of this would have happened were it not for Microsoft trying to move computing forward with Windows 8. But going straight to 8 was too much change for most people, those stuck on the 1980s paradigm of computing. So they revamped 8 into 10, trying to please everyone, but at the same time taking convergence a major step forward with the whole “OneCore” with hardware specific API layers. What other operating system available today has the capability and potential of Windows 10? Not one. This step from 8 to 10 resulted in the retrenching we see today. With an OS re-write of this scale, you have to focus on the foundation, the core product, first. Only once the foundation is solid can you then begin to focus on the various offshoots like mobile. No, it isn’t a completely sequential process, but it also isn’t completely parallel. I’m just as frustrated as any other Windows fan, but I remind myself of the longer game. In the short-term it may be more attractive to some to switch to iOS and Android and their short-sighted platforms, but I honestly see incredible potential in what Microsoft is doing. Will they conquer the world with it? No. The tech world is far too big and complex for one company to please everyone. But I do think they are changing how we think of computing and how we actually compute, for the better, and this is just the beginning.
  • What is considered short term and long run. I've been with WP since Lumia 900 got shafted with with W8. Moved to HTC 8x and got shafted with WM10. Had surface 2 and got shafted with W10. I've been a windows mobile user since 2012 (4 yrs ago) and nothings changed. If I wait any longer I'll just be delusional.
  • As a three year 920 user who got an LG3 in August to try out Android ...it's kind of nice to have apps that are up to date and are fully functional . I still have my 920 and have it on windows10 and it's improving with each build, but at this point my LG3 is the better phone for many reasons... This year I will get a new phone and I would like to get a new windows phone but it seems like Microsoft isn't putting much energy /effort into the mobile division and so I don't have much confidence in buying one. Red​920
  • I'm sadden to see that Microsoft isn't pushing much on W10 Mobile. I purchased the blu win hd lte last summer, being promised that 10 Mobile is coming "soon" but, still waiting, no date from MS. sucks to be a windows phone owner.
  • The RSS feed only shows up to episode 15... So 16-18 are not listed!
  • MS must concentrate on the OS rather than hardware, Give part time jobs to some of the developers who had developed some of the best applications on this platform. And they must desist from changing applications/features that no one has never complained about. Make it mandatory for their developers to use W10M maybe during working hours so that they would be forced to understand some of the complains that we make, some of the complains may have small votes but having big negative impact against the OS. 
  • Good episode, Dan! You guys have really got to start (or restart, as it were) the Windows Central Podcast! Wanted to touch on a couple things: 1) I don't have a problem with Microsoft's "put everything everywhere" strategy. While it does introduce some "why buy the cow when you get the milk for free" backfire potential, I think on balance it is a brilliant strategy which kind of addresses plan A and plan B all in one move. Plan A: lure as many Apple and Android people to Windows as we can, B: be able to be successful on Apple and Android in the event of a post-apocalyptic post-Windows Mobile world. Both plans use the same infrastructure, basically, so the one move sets up both. Where I might have a problem, though, is this was also with the promise that though the Microsoft experience would be everywhere, the Microsoft experience would be best on Windows itself and anecdotally, I'm not sure that part has come true yet. What efforts are underway to make this happen? Here might be better integration with things like Cortana, but when the Windows version of the app is INFERIOR to the other versions, I'm still not sure how much good that does. 2) I don't want to see the Lumia brand name go away. I want to see it become the branding for the budget line. And not just for phones, I want to see Microsoft offer 1st party, low price alternatives for phone, tablet/laptop, and [hopefully someday] desktop. And I think the Lumia name would work well to that end. Maybe the middle and high end respectively could be Surface and Surface Pro. Capitalize on already existing properties that already have this perceived hierarchy. But would that mean the Surface Pro becomes the Surface tab Pro? No. I think with Surface and Surface Pro lines the 2-in-1s would still simply be called "Surface" and "Surface Pro". That name already has a strong association, so why change it? The laptop could be called (and already is being called) "Surface Book" and "Surface Book Pro" - I'd argue the current S.B. would actually be the S.B.P. and something spec'd and priced a little lower would take its place. The phone is already unofficially being called the Surface Phone, so we have plenty of precedent for this. With the Lumia line, the "just Lumia" would be the phone, with Lumia tab Lumia book, and Lumia desk being the rest. Maybe have Lumia desk be basic computing grade PCs, Surface desk be solid productivity/light gaming boxes, and Surface Desk Pro be for intense gaming, and heavy duty graphic design/studio recording. Maybe I'm just crazy, but I think it's got solid idea written all over it - and it's A LOT easier to keep track of than 930, 1520, 640, 830, 520 and so on. 3) I think you made the PERFECT distinction between "Windows Phone 'as you know it' is dead" and "Windows Phone as an entity is not dead." I agree with both of those assertions emphatically! And this is why I find so....tragicomic this whole sentiment that seems to permeate so much of the comment threads and forums here that basically goes "Windows 10 is dead....soooo Windows 8!!!" It amounts to refusing to participate in a platform that MAY fail in favor of a platform that HAS failed. While I'm far more optimistic of Windows 10's chances than this, let's even change that statement to say "almost certainly will fail"...it's still an illogical position to insist on clinging to the one who's chances of success and survival are ABSOLUTE ZERO over against the one who's chances are meager. The word picture I used before was of a man clinging to the mast of a large ship that is going under with only the mast still above water. This man shouts and spits his hatred and defiance of Windows 10 from his mast until the shouts turn into glubs. That's how preposterous I feel this position is for a Windows fan....and how useful, and how meaningful, and how helpful, either to himself, or to Microsoft and Windows 10's chances. I think my metaphor is quite apt. But I also do not fail to realize that I'm new blood here. While I did have some exposure to Windows 8 (both desktop and mobile), and saw at least some of the charm, I was never invested in the platform. So I do get that this is an emotional issue for many, and I am trying not to begrudge anyone for this. Also, though I personally see Windows 10 as a ----HEEEEUUUUUGE---- net positive over Windows 8, I am not trying to invalidate those who feel otherwise. Preferences are preferences and tastes are tastes and we need to remember that. We live in a world where objective truth is relativized and made subjective and where subjective, relative preference is objectified almost dogmatically. Though I'm quite sure it's imperfectly so, I try very hard not to do either of these. So much of what happens in these threads and forums and the blistering vitriol of the butthurt (our man on the mast) is nothing but error of the second kind - dogmatically objectifying the subjective. I also don't want to fail to point out that their complaints are entirely without basis. There are indeed a lot of things that are going wrong in this transition. And it seems that most of them have to do with product rollouts and infrastructure I'll-prepared for such a grand and glorious vision. It's as if they built this magnificent house but forgot to run the plumbing to it first. Now, this will certainly improve in time, which is why it has not done much to darken my long term outlook for the platform. But man, what a big mess up at such an important juncture! I DO have to give the complainers at least that much - and I suspect you would too. My complaint, though, is not that people don't share my zeal for 10, or that they are pointing out problems many of which are based in reality. It's that they itch and witch and kvetch over "how horrible" things are, and "how doomed Windows is" without offering a single productive, helpful solution. If I ever thought as poorly of Microsoft and Windows as they do, Dan, you know what I would do? I'd leave this site and never come back, refusing to waste my time on such a lost cause. But they don't do that. Instead, they stick around just to defecate all over the place and hurl it at everyone. All they do is "man on the mast", and insodoing do the most hurtful thing they can to the prospects of a Windows 10 success...they abandon it waaaay too prematurely. And for what? Oh I'm sure many will glub their way straight to the bottom of the ocean on Windows 8, but ultimately in a tremendous twist of irony they will ultimately find their way to iOS or Android, and many are raising the white flag already. For the most part, people who were on Windows Phone 8 were on it because they liked the experience better than what the competition were offering. And yet, they are now flocking to experiences exceedingly more dissimilar to their beloved 8 than the experience offered by Microsoft that they refuse to take. Tremendous irony. I'm not in a position to jump onto Windows Phone just yet, Dan. It may be a year or more before I am. But I am certainly cheering for it. I certainly believe in it. And I'll certainly jump onboard the first chance I get. Anyway, I think your distinction of "that is dead but this is not" is a tremendous distinction that cuts right to the heart of it. Hopefully it will inspire many of the old faithful to get onboard and try to improve the thing's trajectory. At a bare minimum, hopefully it'll inspire the rest of them to find better things to do with their time...and ours! Cheers!
  • Nokia Lumia is dead! Microsoft should have simply rebooted the phones(design) after they completed the purchase of Nokia D&S instead of releasing the 640 series, 950 series, 550, and upcoming 650 units because they're under powered and people are complaining about them anyway. The 950's aren't under powered, but people are complaint about them not having premium design., do Microsoft should have simply started over with a surface line of phones that met the spec's and designs prior are calling for instead of putting out device for people to whine about.
  • How can it be dead? You haven't try it and you don't know what they have done to Lumia 950/XL. You should question how come a phone so desktop. What's Microsoft doing?
  • These days I'm looking at Windows Phone as more of a service, rather than hardware.  MIcrosoft leaves me no choice.  Windows Phone is just cheap hardware they give away at a loss so that people can access all of Microsoft's services.  I do believe that the hardware aspect is dead.  But the services live on.  As far as the cloud, Microsoft has never looked better.  But hardware, and the operating system itself, leaves much to be desired. If it were me I'd take the high road and only release 2 high end phones each year.  Sort of like what Google does with the Nexus.  I wouldn't do low end, or even mid teir, at all.  Find OEMs for that.  Microsoft doesn't really care about Windows Phone anymore.  Hardware isn't as good of a value as it used to be.  Operating system sucks.  All Microsoft wants to do is sell OneDrive, Office 365, Groove Music Pass, Microsoft TV and Movies.  And they can do that on any platform.  We say that they give away the best to Android and iOS.  Curiously, TV and Movies is the only thing we have to ourselves.  I imagine that will eventually change.  Even Continuum, as interesting as that is, just another slick way to sell Office 365 subscriptions.   Basically if you look at it from a hardware perspective then yes, Windows Phone is dead.  But the spirit lives on.  I look at this like I look at IBM and Atari.  And I love Windows Phone, but I would be a fool to pay more than $50 for the hardware, given the issues with Windows 10, and even some of what I don't particularly care for on Windows Phone 8.1.  My next purchase will be an Android.  I was using some apps, like Outlook and OneDrive, on Android Jellybean long before I got a Windows Phone and I'll continue using them on Android.  I was expecting similar implementation on Windows Phone but that obviously is not the case.  I actually took a step backwards from what I was doing back then.  Part of the problem is that the Nokia Lumia phones are just too good.  If you purchased a 520 it still works.  And with the efficiencies of WP 8.1, there are no compelling reasons to purchase a higher end device.  With Android, you needed those expensive phones.  With Windows, you just want them.  Nokia's phones are like Commodore computers.  Drop them down the staircase and they keep on ticking.  Throw them out of a second story window; it doesn't matter.  So why would we forsake that for a more expensive phone when the ecosystem does not offer anything that requires more expensive hardware?
  • What apps are coming soon? Very interesting
  • To state the obvious: while it is true that the W10M and iOS/Android development teams are (to some extent, completely?) separate, it is a matter of resource allocation as well. MS could have (without passing judgement on whether they should have) decided to allocate more staff resources (current or new hires) to W10M at the expense of other teams.
  • Don't worry guys... Zombies are resistant to virus..... 
  • Clearly NOT dead and not dying. The strategy is, as with laptops and tablets: Make the best... And make sure other OEM's are using it too. So far, Asus, Xaomi and, now, Vaio.
  • Nokia Icon 150$,Straight talk 5gigs per month 45$(Uses Verizon towers),Window 10 mobile (Insider preiew). This phone still rocks. Windows 10 mobile is getting more and more stable and after playing with it for a while I don't want to go back to 8.1.
  • Hey at least they added a feature on the Edge browser where you can draw on a web page and then save it.  I mean, priorities people, they only have a limited amount of rescources and they chose to go in other directions.  Oh, and the email app in Windows 10 doesn't really sync with Gmail.  Does anything work 100%  Is MS becoming one of those wait, and wait, and wait, and wait companies?  Always something huge on ther horizon, but never today. 
  • The sad story of Windows Phone: - MS creates Windows Phone 7 and teams up with Nokia to enter the Smartphone market [crickets...] - MS deploys Mango update [crickets...] - MS replaces Windows Phone 7 series with Windows Phone 8 and acquires Nokia [crickets] - MS deploys Windows Phone 8.1 [crickets...] - MS throws away Windows Phone, abandons Smartphone market and delivers Windows 10 Mobile for fans and Windows enthusiasts  [silence... not even crickets would care]
  • What game is he playing @ 7:56....... looks fun?
  • Oh I so wished my 950XL looked like that 650 that is beautiful. 
  • So i have been a WP user for few years now. I have owned  Samsung ATIV S,Lumia 920, Lumia 1020, Lumia 640XL,Lumia 830, lumia 635 and recently switched to  LG G4( Android). I have always been reluctant to switch to another platform and the reason was because i had everything i needed to continue with my day to day tasks on my WP. Yes there were app gaps between android and WP but nevetherless i still stick with WP becuase i was not an App guy. What made me switch to android was that fact that apps were being withdrawn from the appstore and the possibility of not coming back again. This is when i switch to Android. Using LG G4 was another ball game. Yes it had appsto download. I could literally do most of my work on the phone. The only problem is that apps would not sometimes repond and would crash on me( not once, but couple of time). I switch from microsoft to google at one point of time and felt the need to go back to microsoft because the integration that microsoft was soo good. This is one of the things i still miss today the reliabilty of the OS is second to none. The integration of microsoft apps was second to none. Neither android nor  iOS can ever beat it.  Even the Microsoft apps are much superior on other platforms. I dont think that WP is dead. It will never be dead as long as Microsoft has the money to keep flowing through the windows phone team.I They will continue to sell it because there are still people today who have all microsoft apps and want the integration together.             
  • the phone is a an indispensible device for everyday use, it is too important a sectment for microsoft to abandon. They just have to live with the fact that the market share will remain very small. I for one, thinks the metro tile UI is much superior to the IOS or Android. let's hope the intel based WP will have better outcome.  
  • Windows Phone is Dead
  • If that's so, then what are you still doing here?
  • It's not dead but if it did die in future, the world would lose one strong platform. #TeamLumiaTillIt'sDeath
  • Compared to Win XP, 7 & 8 I love Win 10 on the laptop. Hence I guess it will take time for MS to get their act together on WP 10. Its not like the World is gonna end in a few days right. Till then I continue with my Lumia 640XL and iphone 6s, both of which are awesome. Once MS has an amazing WP10 I'll be back...;) No worries. Wat I'd love is WP10 on my iphone. This will be the ultimate orgasm. 
  • Yes Lumia is dead.....lets welcome Surface....Don't forget Nokia will soon come back with boom
  • if the windows phone ship goes down, im going down with it. i don´t want to go back to android.
  • It had a lot more potential.  Nadela really F'd it up, gives it no attention, has no enthusiasm for it. Balmer's faith in phone was awesome and sorely missed.  Nadela wants to make msft primarily a software company that makes its best apps on iphone/droid.  Also, not sure who made this call, but the phone team has transformed wm10 to a google copycat in order to attract outside users.  Kind of selling out the fan base.  Ive started with WP7, and have loved it all the way to my L1520; put dev preview of w10 on a backup phone and dislike it. I dont see anything better in the market, and am afraid that once I have to upgrade I will have to leave WP.  As a loyalist I dont want to, but will need some phone for day to day utility - prob lose my interest in all things mobile at that poing.
  • Dan, what is the keyboard you are using to demo the continuum ? cheers
  • The financial results obtained by the Company in the Windows Phone business is just normal considering the big changes it has faced in the recent years in its effort to build a solid new environment based in a platform that supports all kind of devices, giving users unlimited access to their contents no matter when and where they run its applications and programs.  It would not have valid explanation leaving away the phone business after the big investment made in Nokia`s acquisition, that implies not just money, but the “Know-How” of one of the most remarkable companies in this matter. I just hope Microsoft to react quickly to this warnings by making users to feel more confident with its Windows hardware acquisitions. I think the problem here is not the handset`s name or the handheld itself, the problem is how the Company promote it. Working to make handhelds available for people at all levels in the market is the clue. Manufacture only High-End devices is a classy style established by Apple that we need to avoid. We all fans of Windows devices need to feel we are not alone and that every purchase we make is guaranteed. Microsoft`s statements and comments have to be more clear and frequently delivered through its official channels. I miss more events through the year available to internet user`s request. I enjoyed last events because those made me feel more confident as I saw confidence and enthusiasm by the people who gave the presentation. I regret Belfiore`s incident and hope people working at the Company to use only Microsoft`s Windows Phones as part of their fidelity and trust in the Company.
  • The financial results obtained by the Company in the Windows Phone business is just normal considering the big changes it has faced in the recent years in its effort to build a solid new environment based in a platform that supports all kind of devices, giving users unlimited access to their contents no matter when and where they run its applications and programs.  It would not have valid explanation leaving away the phone business after the big investment made in Nokia`s acquisition, that implies not just money, but the “Know-How” of one of the most remarkable companies in this matter. I just hope Microsoft to react quickly to this warnings by making users to feel more confident with its Windows hardware acquisitions. I think the problem here is not the handset`s name or the handheld itself, the problem is how the Company promote it. Working to make handhelds available for people at all levels in the market is the clue. Manufacture only High-End devices is a classy style established by Apple that we need to avoid. We all fans of Windows devices need to feel we are not alone and that every purchase we make is guaranteed. Microsoft`s statements and comments have to be more clear and frequently delivered through its official channels. I miss more events through the year available to internet user`s request. I enjoyed last events because those made me feel more confident as I saw confidence and enthusiasm by the people who gave the presentation. I regret Belfiore`s incident and hope people working at the Company to use only Microsoft`s Windows Phones as part of their fidelity and trust in the Company.
  • Hey Daniel Microsoft is working on a 64 bit OS for the official launch of W10M will that affect mobile phones running 32 bit chips? Is that's why none of Samsung windows phones will be getting W10M update especially the Ativ se?
  • On WP8.1 most of the first party apps support live tiles. Some of the best features are already baked in the OS itself. Sad to say that W10M is kinda broken. (Barely working on my 920) I don't need such app like snapchat or whatsoever but they are needed to be port to W10M to gain customers
    (Most of the people where I live are app addicts) btw...I just really like how the WP8.1 perfoms (though lately, resuming screen annoys me)
  • dead huh? lol http://windowscentral.com/microsoft-reportedly-acquiring-swiftkey-250-mi...
  • A lot of "opinions" here, some enlightened, some not. Here is a FACT that is verifiable. As long as the Windows ecosystem exists, there will be phones for it! Very easy to verify and very difficult to deny.
  • Is this series dead? I enjoyed it, but no updates for 2+ months makes me think so.