One of the biggest questions on the lips of millions the world over this week will be that of whether to go out and buy the Smartphone of their dreams today, or wait a little longer and give the new Windows Phone 8 OS a go later this year. Microsoft has just unveiled is brand new mobile OS to the world and promised us great things, but will said things really be great enough to hold out for?
A tough one to evaluate to say the least as there have already been so many examples of a new OS promising a revolution and delivering outright failure.
Plus of course there is the imminent arrival of the Samsung Galaxy S3 and the less-than immediate launch of the iPhone 5 to take into account – all of which stand to harm the chances of Windows Mobile 8 retaining its appeal for long.
Looking at the new OS in its own right, Microsoft has thrown everything but the kitchen sink at Windows Phone 8 and seems to have hit the nail on the head across the board. The new platform delivers an array of new features and a vastly improved overall user experience – both of which were of course expected.
However, what offers perhaps the most promise from Windows Phone 8 is the way in which it provides an incredibly strong foundation upon which third-party developers and manufacturers can create next-generation Windows Smartphones with specs and hardware on a whole new level.
Or to put it another way, Windows Phones of the future could entirely obliterate the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S3 and the iPhone 5 in terms of raw power and performance.
Of course, at this stage at least the standard means by which to evaluate the new Microsoft mobile OS will be to hold it alongside its Android and iOS rivals, though to do so is to miss the point entirely. Windows Phone 8 is not about immediately launching the mother of all handsets to wipe the floor with the competition, but to begin a superbly strong legacy and add a third contender to the current two horse race.
Unfortunately, this really doesn’t do much to answer the question detailed in the title of this piece, but at present it is in the lap of the Gods as to just how the first launch of Windows Phone 8 will manifest. There are in fact just as many questions remaining as there are answers.
As bleak a thought as it may be, it must never be forgotten that a super spec-sheet and a truly remarkable OS is no recipe for guaranteed success or reverence – we had this confirmed recently by the Nokia Lumia 900.
That being said, Microsoft still has ample time to ensure that the first impression delivered by Windows Phone 8 is one to last for all the right reasons and could indeed be the OS to succeed where all others have so far failed.
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