While many at Microsoft may be celebrating at the release of Windows 10, there remains lots of work to be done for the release of Windows 10 Mobile. One of the major milestones for releasing a new mobile OS involves having great hardware which takes advantage of new features. Historically, Microsoft has had a hard time convincing hardware makers to support Windows Phone, but as Satya Nadella said, even if no one else makes Windows 10 Mobile devices, Microsoft will.
On the other hand, a recent rumor suggests Acer may be announcing four new Windows 10 Mobile phones at IFA. This particular conference would be an opportune time for device makers to announce new Windows 10 Mobile phones because Microsoft said in an interview Window 10 Mobile is ‘feature complete.’ Windows Phone was known for good performance even on low-end hardware, and Windows 10 Mobile should perform well on the same range even though there are features like Continuum which require high end hardware.
Since Windows 10 Mobile’s feature set spans a range of hardware models, it makes sense Acer would announce several different phones. IFA is set for September 4th through the 9th and we’ll see how Windows 10 Mobile has changed by then. It would be surprising if phones were available before October based upon how honing a mobile OS requires more work on the device side (new firmware).
If the rumor of four phones is correct, it would mean that device makers like Acer aren’t turned off by the Nokia purchase. It could also signal that device makers don’t like the idea of Android being their only chance and entertaining other competitive options may be a move to ensure Google doesn’t get comfortable. Although, Acer has been primarily known as a PC maker, and perhaps Windows 10 Mobile features like Continuum have attracted PC makers because they see how phones could replace some of the laptop market share. Either way, it’s good to see companies giving Windows 10 Mobile a second guess, and with Windows 10 resonating well with consumers, it may spill over to a warm reception of Windows 10 Mobile, or we can hope.
Further reading: Acer, Microsoft, Windows, Windows 10 Mobile
