“Overthe next 12 months,Microsoftis likelyto push
Continuumhard as the next two generationsof phonescometo
market,”says Enderle.The feature will knowthe deviceyou’re
usingand switcheffortlesslyto the best user interface.“The
rumoured Surfacephone,or whateverthey call it, shouldbe
the linchpinto this, as they moveto showcasethe full powerof
a smartphonethat can carrya PC load.”Continuumwill be a
feature of the Lumia950 and 950XL.
It will enablesmartphonesto offer a full Windowsdesktop
experience,and it will allowhandsetsto be connectableto
keyboards, miceand monitors.Whateveris shownon the
smartphonescreen wouldbe mirrored on the monitor, and it
wouldallowfor an effectivecomputerthat couldbe stored in
yourpocket.
KevinGallo,vice presidentof the Windowsdeveloperplatform,
is evenlookingto bringdesktopWindows10 apps– or Win
programs– to Windows10 Mobile.Sucha movewouldproducea
uniqueecosystemthat couldhavethe powerto betterthat of rival
Apple,whichis also lookingat greaterintegrationof its desktop
and mobileoperatingsystems.
Richard Edwards, the principalresearch analystat Ovum,tells
us that this will go handin handwitha greaterpushtowards
encouragingpotentialupgradersto embraceWindows10.
“From a usabilityperspective,Windows10 may be familiar, but
it’s also intimidatingto manyusers,especiallythosewhohave
neverhad any formalWindowstraining,”he says.“So as iOS
and Android climbup the sophisticationladder, Microsoftmust
find a way to climbdowna coupleof rungs.This may well come
in the guiseof Windows10 Mobile,but not necessarilyin a
smartphoneformfactor.”SurfacePhone
The secondhalf of 2016is set to see the introductionof a
new Surfacepremiumsmartphone.Detailsare scantbecause
the headof Surface,PanosPanay, is keepingthemvery close
to his chest,but it’s understoodthe new gadgetwill be
poweredby Intel,comein an all-metalcase and,crucially,
run Windows10 Mobile.
Rumourssuggestthe phonewill also comein two
versionswhich,like the iPhone,will differ primarilyin size.
The largerof the two is said to havea 2K quadHD display
measuring5.5 or six inches,whichwill be a smallbut
neverthelessnoticeableadvanceon the 5.2 inchesof the
expectedsmallerunit.
Whetheror not the phonewill be SurfacePen compatible
remainsto be seen,but it doesappearto be within
Microsoft’s thinking.Bill Buxton,PrincipalResearcherat
MicrosoftResearch,certainlybelievesit to be important.
“57 yearsafterthe first lightpen,53 yearsafterthe first
stylus-drivengraphicstablet,27 yearsafterthe first stylus-
drivenslatecomputerand 14 yearsafterMicrosoftlaunched
the Tablet PC, stylus-baseddrawing,annotationand note-
takingwill assumea broadlysupportedand appropriate
placein the mosaicof howwe interactwithdigitaldevices,”
he said whenaskedfor his 2016prediction.Expectit to
forman integralpart of Microsoft’s products.Microsoftis expectedto
puta hugeeffort intoWindows
StoreforBusiness
iSkypemaywellformanevenlargerpartofWindows 10 inthenearfuture