We’ve seen some speculation this year that Lenovo might come out with new Windows-powered smartphones but the Chinese giant hasn’t really been bullish on Microsoft’s mobile platform. It did announce one back in July four years after confirming its Windows Phone plans and while that handset will be going on sale later this month, Lenovo has now said that it has no further plans of launching Windows-powered smartphones in the future.
The confirmation comes directly from Lenovo’s chief operating officer Gianfranco Lanci who told attendees at the Canalys Channel Forum 2016 that the company has no plans to introduce a Windows smartphone. “I don’t see the need to introduce a Windows Phone and I am not convinced Microsoft is supporting the phone for the future,” he added.
It’s not surprising to see Lenovo excuse itself from making Windows-powered smartphones given that Microsoft’s mobile OS is quickly losing market share to its rivals. Microsoft itself hasn’t released any high-end devices powered by its mobile OS so it can’t really expect OEM partners to stake their reputation on a device that might end up as a flop.
This obviously doesn’t mean that Microsoft will bow out of the mobile market completely. It’s actually believed to be working towards a complete refresh of its smartphone offerings with the Surface phone though it’s unclear if and when that handset will be released.
Lenovo will continue to work with Microsoft on Windows 10-powered PCs because those products perform much better in the market.
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