It's awesome, but requires application support that isn’t really existent in Windows 10’s third-party ecosystem yet. One new technology, Continuum, lets users connect their phone to a keyboard, mouse and monitor for use like a PC. Reviews for the phones are good and it packs some cool, whiz-bang features, like the ability to use iris recognition to unlock the device, but the biggest drawback is a familiar one for Windows smartphones: The small selection of apps.īut Microsoft hasn't given up on building smartphones yet. It's a snazzy piece of hardware, but still hurt by the mobile operating system's lack of apps.ĭuring the year, it released the Lumia 950 and 950 XL flagship phones that were supposed to help drive Windows smartphones back towards relevance. The Lumia 950 is Microsoft's flagship Windows 10 smartphone. Microsoft laid off thousands of people from its phone hardware division and saw its market share decline from 2.7 percent to 2.2 percent, according to IDC estimates. In the smartphone space, the year was one of contraction. But its premium price and somewhat awkward design don’t lead one to believe that it’s a slam-dunk for widespread consumer adoption beyond Microsoft’s die-hard fanbase. Early reviews are favorable, and the device is definitely cool. The machine has a powerful keyboard with some serious computing power that has a detachable touchscreen, which can serve as a tablet. For years, Microsoft has relied on partners like HP, Dell and Toshiba to produce laptops - and they aren't out of the picture - but with its own machine it's attempting a bit of Apple's successful business model, directly selling the computer it thinks customers want. One of the most unexpected moves of the year was Microsoft's entry into the laptop computer business with the Surface Book. Microsoft's Surface Book is the company's first laptop - and a departure from its past strategy. Not everybody likes everything about it and Microsoft has made its share of missteps, like keeping details about what personal information was sent from the OS to its servers under wraps until well after users raised privacy concerns about it. But overall, it has been very positively received. Since it launched in July, Windows 10 has seen massive adoption.

Microsoft desktop voices 2015