Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has reiterated his commitment to the company's smartphone division, adding that Windows Phone is not dead and that consumers should expect to see a new build of Windows devices to launch in the near future.
In line with this commitment, Nadella stated that the company plans to implement some changes in its operating approach with an increased focus on devices that will showcase the company's uniqueness. He further stated that Microsoft's primary objective is to provide the Windows service and that selling phones is not a top priority.
"Last week's announcement was not about any change to our vision and strategy, but for sure it was a change to our operating approach," said Nadella. "I'm going to focus on a few phones that actually grab share that, in fact, showcase our uniqueness."
The announcement that Nadella was referring to is about how the company wrote off $7.6 billion in connection with its Nokia acquisition in 2013, which cost a total of $9.5 billion.
The move to enter into a partnership with the Finnish manufacturer was seen as daring but was a failed attempt to rival the dominance of Apple and Google when it comes to leading the smartphone industry.
Still, Nadella remains optimistic about the future of Windows Phone and even claims that Microsoft can build its own devices if no other manufacturers are willing to take the role.
"If no OEM stands up to build Windows devices we'll build them," said Nadella. "There will be Lumia devices. So I'm not afraid of saying, okay, it's all about the OEMs, or it's all about the ecosystem. It's about Windows."
Microsoft may be building its own Windows devices, but it will be the developers who will continue to build phone apps since Windows 10 UAP apps are poised to run across all devices, ranging from smartphones to tablets to Xbox consoles and HoloLens.
In other words, Microsoft wants the soon-to-be-launched Windows 10 to be a standard feature in as many devices as possible. Since it will come as a free upgrade, it only goes to show just how committed the company is to Windows Phone.
"We will do everything we have to do to make sure we're making progress on phones," said Nadella.
Photo: Karlis Dambrans | Flickr
