Since I moved over to Android recently I got thinking about Microsoft’s mobile strategies with Nokie. The first thing I was thinking about is as an Android user you can use Microsoft services easier on Android and can set Microsoft apps as default app to use unlike an iPhone. Google believes in the open platform a very linux like feeling of everything should be open and allow you to control and manipulate your device as you want or need. Microsoft offers a lot of the same services Google offers just without the notoriety and publicity.
Microsoft owns Nokia why couldn’t they use this to their advantage. It’s no secret that Windows Mobile has failed bailey most cell phone stores don’t even carry Windows phones. Does Microsoft need Windows mobile when they can just latch on to the already established Google Android platform.
Microsoft could put out a Nokia phone with Microsoft services as the default apps on everything. On Android you can change who the default search provider is on your device. I was at first surprised Google would let you do this but again it’s their mentality of everything should be open it’s your device. I figure why not download the Bing app and make Bing the default search provider. Bing can also provide navigation and Bing maps so there would be no need for Google maps. You would still need to use Chrome or Firefox as your web browser since Microsoft does not make edge for Android.
The next thing I was thinking was Google docs. Its very clear that Microsoft wins here because Office 365 is much better than Google Docs, Google Apps or G Suite, there are several names Google has used over the years. Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access and OneNote are better at most things then Google docs they would be great as default apps.
Google Drives main competitor is OneDrive. Microsoft is starting to really come on strong in the storage business more than ever before. OneDrive does a nice job of backing up Android devices it’s actually surprising how well Microsoft has made Onedrive for Android and iPhone it’s impressive to say the least.
Let’s talk about Google Music. Microsoft has a strong competitor Microsoft Groove, which has evolved from the early Zune product that failed it was Microsoft’s sad attempt at an iPod. Groove can do everything Google Music can do both services are about the same and both run well I have nothing negative to say about either service.
Google is big in the messager business nowadays with Allo, Hangouts and Duo. Microsoft has their flag ship messenger Skype for everything. I don’t think Skype is as well made as Google hangouts or any of the other Google chat apps, but its video quality is on par with hangouts. Skype tends to be a little glitchy at times and can drop your calls from time to time but it’s not bad overall.
Google+ really has no competition. Microsoft does now own LinkedIn but I don’t think of that as a competitor to Google+ in any case. The same goes for Google Play Books. Microsoft really has no ebook presence they ended their partnership with Barnes and Nobles years ago and have never returned to the space. YouTube is the same as well Bing does have a video search but nothing that even comes close to YouTube.
In the general sense I think an Android based Microsoft phone could work for Microsoft as a way to break into the mobile market. Microsoft owns the hardware manufacture and owns the apps needed to do a rollout like this very easily. I think Windows Microsoft is still trying to create a mobile operating system when they should be focusing on an already established brand Android and the integration with there great apps and services.