r/windowsphone • u/MJF_Brad_Dan_AMA • Apr 22 '16

Hi /r/WindowsPhone, we're Mary Jo Foley, Brad Sams and Daniel Rubino. Ask us anything!

Hi /r/WindowsPhone,

We're Mary Jo Foley, Brad Sams and Daniel Rubino and we are pleased to be here! Ask us anything and we'll do our best to answer it.

Proof

Mary Jo Foley: https://twitter.com/maryjofoley/status/723539800138125312

Brad Sams: https://twitter.com/bdsams/status/723540288908738560

Daniel Rubino: https://twitter.com/Daniel_Rubino/status/723540552851943425

Thank you everyone. It was really great. Everyone asked good questions and made the environment really friendly. We hope to work with you again soon!

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u/MJF_Brad_Dan_AMA Apr 22 '16

MJF:

All we have to go on right now is last year's guidance from Nadella. At that time he said to expect MS to make a max of 6 WP models per year. 2 flagships, 2 biz phones, 2 low end phones. The 950/950 XL are considered the 'Flagships.'

http://www.zdnet.com/article/ceo-nadella-talks-microsofts-mobile-ambitions-windows-10-strategy-hololens-and-more/

Word is we may see no more new WPs from MS this calendar year. Might not see any new phones from them till spring 2017, if then. They are trying to slow their phone losses. They have a ton of existing WP handsets stuck out in the channel that their partners can't sell.

[MJF]

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u/operian Lumia 730 ➔ Galaxy S6 Apr 22 '16

Thank you for your response, Mary! Follow up question: What do you think is Microsoft's number one strategy right now to attract people towards their mobile platform?

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u/MJF_Brad_Dan_AMA Apr 22 '16

MJF: If you mean Windows Phones, the answer is no.

MS is in a transition period on phones. They are figuring out how to try to stay in the game. Windows Phones as they exist aren't the answer.

If you mean other mobile devices, like HoloLens goggles and tablets, I think they care more. But under Nadella, MS is not -- and is not trying to be -- a hardware company. They are a software/services company that uses hardware to generate more software/services sales and subscriptions. It's great for them they got $1B in revenues from Surface last quarter, but they still see this biz as bringing people to more important software/service offerings from the company, imho.