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Analysis |
Microsoft needs a bold Surface smartphone, not an evolutionary Lumia 950 XL
As Microsoft unveiled two new flagship Windows 10 mobile smartphones, analyst firm IHS took a closer look.
- Lumia 950, 5.2" screen, Snapdragon 808, USD 549.
- Lumia 950 XL, 5.7" screen, Snapdragon 810, USD 649.
Both models include adaptive antenna technology with dual antennas; 1440x2560 pixel screen; liquid cooling; 20MP rear camera, triple RGB flash, optical image stabilisation; 3GB RAM; 32GB storage; micro SD card support for up to 256GB; USB-C; Qi wireless charging; have Dual SIM variants. Both products are available in November.
Other new hardware includes:
- Microsoft Display Dock which allows the Lumia 950 range to connect to a large monitor (HDMI & Displayport), keyboard and mouse.
- Lumia 550 smartphone, Snapdragon 210, 8GB storage, 1GB RAM, available December, USD139.
- Microsoft Band 2, curved screen, adds barometric sensor, continues to be compatible with iOS and Android.
- Surface Pro 4, with a new stylus design with changeable tips.
- Microsoft Surface Book - a Microsoft-made laptop with touch screen, Skylake processor, Nvidia GPU, and a display which detaches to become a tablet.
- Target the mainstream mobile audience on Android and iOS with Microsoft software & services. Microsoft knows the greater prize now is to ensure that consumers and businesses use its software. For example, if Microsoft had continued to keep Office exclusive to Windows, or offer it first and best on Windows, then the vast audience of Android and iOS users would have been tempted by rival offerings like Google Docs or even Apple iWork which could have hurt Microsoft's overall Office business in time. The same rationale applies to all of Microsoft's other services.
- Seek to subvert the Android operating system. Microsoft is attempting to turn Android's business model into its own favor. It's aiming to have its apps pre-installed on Android smartphones by all the leading smartphone makers. And, it's working with Cyanogen to create a new services layer for Android embedded in Cyanogen OS, akin to Google Play Services, which would provide most of the benefits of creating an OS but with complete Google Play and Android app compatibility.
- Offer productivity-focused users a Lumia smartphone alternative. To support Microsoft's company-wide productivity strategy, the new Lumia smartphones offer a more PC-like experience. This enables Microsoft to maintain its smartphone foothold while its innovation teams seek a revolutionary product design.