Microsoft launched two premium smartphones running on its latest Windows 10 operating system in the UAE, the first after taking over Nokia’s phone business in 2014.
“We were absent in the market for close to around 16 months and these devices — Lumia 950 and 950 XL — are the first to carry Windows 10 OS. Windows 10 is a big bet for the company and it is working very positively,” Vithesh Reddy, general manager for Lower Gulf at Microsoft Devices, told Gulf News on Tuesday after launching the devices and showcasing the Surface Pro 4 tablet.
Microsoft is targeting professionals, Windows fans and enthusiasts with the phones.
“People are not buying devices because of the design; they are buying because of the experience and what it does for the people. The launch of the new devices is launch of whole new business, starting from scratch with the high-end devices,” he said.
Moreover, he said that app downloads have increased fivefold since the launch of Windows 10 universal app store.
Universal apps are a big part of Microsoft’s promise to create a “truly cross-device” operating system.
“We have moved from device-centric view to experience centric. We have 110 million users running Windows 10 OS, out of this, 8 million are business PCs,” said Mohammad Arif, Windows Business Group Lead at Microsoft Gulf.
“There may be an increase as it launches new flagship products for the first time in over a year. While Microsoft has made some progress selling low-end, cheaper smartphones such as the Lumia 530, it will need to gain some traction in the high-end of the market to attract developers to the platform,” Gleeson said.
According to research firm International Data Corporation, Microsoft will attain a market share of 2.2 per cent this year and will be able to achieve only 2.3 per cent in 2019.