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While Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS are the dominant smartphone operating systems around, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they are the best. For those who have been around smartphones for a while, you might recall Microsoft’s attempts at their own OS in the form of Windows Phone.
Many agree that Windows Phone was actually a great OS. It was fast, it was responsive, it was clean, but it lacked the apps which resulted in Microsoft failing to create an ecosystem diverse enough to build up any kind of traction, ultimately resulting in them killing it off.
We feel it was a bit of a missed opportunity, but with Microsoft starting to explore AI and integrating it into Bing, could now be a good time for Microsoft to revisit Windows Phone and bring the platform back to life?
Bing’s AI integration could be the start
Prior to this, using Bing always felt like a downgraded experience compared to Google. While Bing does have its strengths, for the most part Google generally yields much better results, and features like the knowledge cards makes quick work when it comes to getting short and simple answers to certain queries.
Now with Bing utilizing AI, it has made search a bit more fun and personalized. This is because due to the way you might phrase your query, the answers might be different and tweaking it here and there could eventually get you what you were looking for. The fact that it searches across websites and pulls data from multiple sources also saves users a lot of time from having to visit each website themselves and trying to find what they need.
Using AI to power Windows Phone
Bing’s integration with AI is just the start and we have heard how Microsoft plans to implement something similar to its other products like Microsoft Office, which then opens the door to more possibilities, like maybe the revival of Windows Phone.
Google already utilizes a lot of AI in Android, so for Microsoft to do the same would be within the realm of possibility. Just imagine Bing being the alternative to how Google Search functions on Android, and Microsoft using AI to help automate a lot of smartphone tasks, which in turn could potentially reduce the need for users to be dependent on third-party apps.
Microsoft could also leverage AI to help develop the cameras on Windows Phone, potentially allowing it to compete against Android, especially Google’s Pixel phones which have used AI in its cameras with great success.
Microsoft already makes pretty great hardware with its Surface series of tablets and laptops, and while the Surface Duo smartphone’s choice of design and hardware might be questionable for an Android phone, maybe as a Windows Phone device it might make more sense.
It could be a tall order
That being said, while we do see the potential in an AI-powered Windows Phone, it might be a tall order for Microsoft to compete against Apple and Google in this day and age. Both the iOS and Android ecosystems are so well-established that it might be hard to convince users to swap to a new one where their favorite apps might not be so readily available.
Even companies such as Huawei and its own HarmonyOS are finding it difficult to gain any kind of notable footing, save for China where Google’s services and products are largely banned to begin with.
Back to reality
In all honesty, we don’t really see Microsoft revisiting Windows Phone anytime soon. The company already has its apps and services available on both iOS and Android, making it much easier for them to maintain, and they don’t have to spend additional resources building a new platform and developing new hardware.
Plus, some of Microsoft’s products such as Office are so ubiquitous that if you need to access it on the go, you can use it on an iPhone or an Android device that you already own, instead of having to buy new hardware. Would it be awesome if Microsoft decides to revive Windows Phone and give it a more modern update? Yes, but realistically, we don’t see that happening anytime soon, if at all.
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