Prescription: How Microsoft Can Defeat Android & iPhone

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Status: Occurring…But Not Always By Microsoft

Prescription: How Microsoft can defeat iPhone & Android

“The mass-market is crowded. Android and iPhone will be hard to beat with the current strategy. The better approach, I think, is to create 3 optimized WP7 flavors:

  1. The XPhone (or Kinected phone)
  2. WP7 Executive Edition
  3. Zune Multimedia Monster
  4. Partner (exclusively with Nokia, Sony, LG and Nintendo)
  5. Create a WP7 Wrapper for Blackberry and Android”

Five Ways Microsoft Can Defeat Iphone and Android, 2011 

What Happened?

Windows Is Doomed 2017

Prescription 1: The XPhone Gaming phone + Partner with Nokia, Sony, LG and Nintendo

  • Use the company’s super successful developer relationships for XBox to port some of the top titles – exclusively – to the XPhone. Hell, mandate it in their contracts.
  • Device specs (controls, speed, processor, battery life, certified add-ons, etc.) should be optimized and certified for serious gaming.
  • partner with Nintendo to run current Wii games
  • Negotiate cheaper data and family plans with networks to target younger gamers
  • unlimited gaming plans
  • I bet if Microsoft doesn’t get to Nokia, HP and WebOS will (or should)
  • Microsoft should be able to run every existing Nintendo title. It gets Nintendo in the mobile game, Microsoft a cache of recognizable, must-have titles, and hook for mobile domination…or at least, competitiveness.  …Atari, anyone?
  • Sony Ericsson has some decent phones, but no clear OS strategy.  They should partner, and possibly look to put PS2 and PS3 games on Microsoft’s platform. Interesting, right? Coopetition, frenemies…you decide how to spell them.

What Happened

Microsoft details how xCloud will let you play Xbox games on an Android phone, Mar 2019

Nintendo patented a case that turns your phone into a working Game Boy, Oct 2018

Asus has a monster phone for serious mobile gamers, Jun 2018

Sony And EA Experiment With New Business Models For Older Games 2014

“This week, both Electronic Arts and Sony revealed or began to roll out new services that have been described to various degrees as ‘Netflix for gaming’.”

Sony’s Xperia Z3 and Z3 Compact will be the first smartphones with PS4 Remote Play, 2014

Microsoft to acquire ‘Minecraft’ maker Mojang for $2.5B

Microsoft on Monday confirmed that it will acquire the studio that created the hit “sandbox” game Minecraft for $2.5 billion, a move that could help bolster the company’s Xbox and mobile ambitions.

Nintendo Will Launch Five Mobile Games By 2017 2015

Crysis 3, Doom 3 and More Ported to Android, Powered by NVIDIA 2015

More than just Crysis 3, NVIDIA’s lining up other partners to port major games to Android — specifically, to its own Android box.

Exclusive: Inside Nintendo’s Bold Plan to Stay Vibrant for the Next 125 Years 2015

On March 17, Iwata announced what many—including Nintendo’s own executives—long thought impossible: the company will begin making games for mobile devices. Nintendo is striking a partnership with Japanese mobile gaming giant DeNA to establish a smart device gaming platform to be introduced this fall. The alliance includes a cross-shareholding agreement: Nintendo is buying a 10% stake in DeNA for $182 million; DeNA is acquiring a 1.24% stake in Nintendo for the same amount.

Razer Phone: Is this actually the ultimate gaming phone?

Razers engineers, or should I say ex Nextbit engineers have clearly focused on the areas close to gamers hearts.

The success that Nintendo are seeing with the Switch proves that a portable/more casual gaming market exists and this is the market that Razer want to tap into.

Microsoft Bought Nokia…

Prescription 2: Executive Edition (Business Phone)

This flavor will be made for getting things done, with a little fun on the side (like a mullet – all business in the front, and a party in the back).13-business-apps-busy-entrepreneurs[1]This phone must be compatible with all things business – including non-Microsoft services like Zoho, Google Docs, WordPress, SAP, Oracle, Adobe, Quickbooks, Carbonite, etc.  Anything and everything office should be doable on this. Any business desktop or web app should have a WP7 equivalent.

What Happened?

With Microsoft Layoffs, Windows Phone’s Prospects Dim Further 2015

Nadella was wise to hedge Microsoft’s bets by bringing key programs and services to rival mobile platforms. At the same time, that move took away one of Microsoft’s selling points. Until recently Windows Phone was the only place to get mobile versions of Office or other key Microsoft services. Committing to other platforms was the right choice for Microsoft as a whole

Microsoft Office Now Available On All Chromebooks 2017

Microsoft Backs Android Wear and iOS 8 With New OneNote Apps 2014

Prescription 3: Multimedia Monster

  • The killer app here will be getting all the providers under one roof – ABC, NBC, CBS, podcasts, Audible, etc.

  • With in-app payments and a common interface, this can be the media junkie’s dream – plus a compelling revenue source as Microsoft takes a cut of all the content.

  • Give hardware suppliers a cut of the revenues and eliminate licensing fees as an extra incentive.

  • use as a streaming device from your home media collection would be a huge plus.

  • Create an API with revenue sharing so multimedia producers and other sites can plug their content right into your ecosystem and profit from it.

What Happened?

Roku, Apple TV, Slingbox and others began bundling multiple media providers under a common user experience and interface

Chromecast (2013) offers in-home media streaming from devices with many similar dongle devices

Prescription 4:  Create a WP7 Wrapper for Blackberry and Android

Create an app for Android, Blackberry and iPhone (if Steve Jobs allows, unlikely) that can run all of the content, apps, and games available on native WP7 devices, if the devices are WP7 certified.  Microsoft would make money from sale of content, subscriptions, and games through the store, as well as from any approved accessories that carry its compatibility logo. (For the geeks – maybe unlock overclocking with this app.)

What Happened?

Microsoft starts accepting pre-orders for its customized Samsung Galaxy S9/S9+, Mar 2018

Both the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ “Microsoft Edition” feature the following apps once the “Microsoft Customization” takes place the first time the phone connects to a Wi-Fi signal:

  • OneDrive
  • Excel
  • Skype
  • Word
  • OneNote
  • Cortana
  • Outlook
  • Compatible with Microsoft Launcher

Microsoft goes cross-platform

Microsoft Launcher delivers a beautiful Android experience, 2017

Microsoft’s mobile efforts on Android continue to expand with the official rollout of Microsoft Launcher.

Microsoft will bundle its apps on Cyanogen’s Android OS 2015

With Microsoft Layoffs, Windows Phone’s Prospects Dim Further 2015

Nadella was wise to hedge Microsoft’s bets by bringing key programs and services to rival mobile platforms. At the same time, that move took away one of Microsoft’s selling points. Until recently Windows Phone was the only place to get mobile versions of Office or other key Microsoft services. Committing to other platforms was the right choice for Microsoft as a whole

What’s Next?

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