Joe Belfiore of Microsoft is no stranger to controversies. It’s part and parcel of his job, as one of the leaders of the Windows Phone platform at Redmond.
Or you can say, the mobile effort.
Sure, things have not been going all that well for Microsoft, and fans have let the company know of their thoughts time and again. The most recent episode was particularly brutal. But one thing no one would disagree on is that this frustration has been bubbling up for quite some time now.
Nevertheless, Joe Belfiore has been spotted with handsets running competing platforms several times now. He was found using an Apple iPhone while making his trip around the world, and more recently, Belfiore has been carrying a smartphone powered by Android.
The Samsung Galaxy S8, to be specific.
He talked about this in a video, explaining the reason behind using this phone, which, for all intents and purposes is the best handset available right now on the market.
His reason for this choice is quite understandable.
Belfiore explained that he opted for the Samsung Galaxy S8 Microsoft Edition, the model that is available in the Microsoft Store, and comes with special customization that the software titan has put together for the handset.
Basically, a suite of apps that is preinstalled on the Galaxy S8, including apps like Outlook, Office, OneDrive, Skype, among others. Redmond is also offering its very own launcher, called Arrow, so that users can get as close to its ecosystem as possible without actually using a Windows 10 Mobile device.
While this is news that is probably not going to please the dedicated Windows Phone fanbase, it is quite forthcoming from Joe Belfiore, on his choice of phone.
How do you see it?
He’s pretty much saying “our software is amazing, Samsung continues to make great hardware, and android has way more apps.” If that Arrow launcher is spot on with it’s UI, i might get an s8 or s7 in a year. Only reason i have a Windows mobile is because of the superior user interface and OS design…… And Xbox achievements.
Most definitely. Microsoft gave it a solid shot a few years back, but it is very clear that we’ll be living in a two OS mobile world for the foreseeable future.
Appreciate the comment, Dominic.
He is saying use something else, Use an Android use Google Docs, Use Apple use there products. He says use MSFT products, but if MSFT does not want to support the Phone, why should I support their product on iOS or Android.
I agree.
He could have been using a flagship Lumia, or the HP Elite x3, even as a token. While I love that Microsoft is bringing their services to other platforms, this quickly, it remains a fact that those who actually invested in the Windows Phone ecosystem are feeling left out.
Thanks for the comment, Joe.
Yep, I love my 950XL, and will do everything I can before I give it up. I would rather use an old flip phone before I have to switch to the other two. Keep up the good work on the site
Cheers for the kind wishes! Yeah, we’ll be ramping it up now, mixing in the news coverage, with a selection of unique articles and feature content. Nice to have you around.
And aye, the 950 XL got an awful good number of things right. That is just a handset! Loved using it for a while.