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Ex-Microsoft exec gives us another perspective on failure of Windows Phone
Ex-Microsoft exec gives us another perspective on failure of Windows Phone
Jul 24, 2025 am 12:17 AM
Following Microsoft CEO’s recent admission that discontinuing Windows Phone was a misstep, a former executive from the company has shed more light on the true factors behind the operating system’s downfall.
Brandon Watson, who previously led the Windows Phone Developer Experience, has taken to Twitter to reveal what he believes was the core reason for the platform's failure. In his view, it wasn’t app shortages or hardware issues—it was the lack of carrier support that ultimately doomed Windows Phone.
In markets like the United States and parts of the EU, telecom carriers play a crucial role by bundling smartphones with compelling plans and promoting them through retail channels. Store staff and carrier websites often serve as primary decision-making touchpoints for consumers shopping for new phones.
“We were fighting an uphill battle trying to get the carriers to feature our phones with their sales people.”
Watson explained that carrier sales representatives simply didn’t prioritize Windows Phones. Any brief excitement around new Lumia devices would quickly fade as the usual promotional focus shifted back to iPhones within a week or two.
While many believe the absence of a robust app ecosystem was the main killer, Watson disagrees—though he acknowledges it played a role. He concedes that some users missed popular apps like Candy Crush or Angry Birds, and essential services like the Chase banking app weren’t available.
“I get it, there were people who had FOMO because they couldn’t play the latest version of Candy Crush or Angry Birds. The Chase banking app wasn’t available. I get it. But, again, combinatorial math makes it so that everybody is going to likely have one app that they can’t get that their friends have that allows the discussion to pivot on “there weren’t enough apps.”
Once sales staff saw customers hesitating due to missing apps, they stopped recommending Lumias altogether—steering buyers toward iPhones or Samsung Galaxy devices instead.
Another critical issue Watson highlights is less commonly discussed: Microsoft restricted external developers from using the same internal tools that its own teams used to build apps.
“I actually think the biggest problem with our developer story was that we did not allow the tools that we used internally to be used by developers externally. Therefore the app experiences diverged.”
This created a gap between first-party and third-party app quality. Third-party apps looked and felt different, lacked polish, and underperformed—making the overall user experience inconsistent. As a result, fewer people bought Lumias, which in turn discouraged developers from investing in the platform.
While this perspective offers a fresh angle on the collapse of Windows Phone, it raises questions about Microsoft’s commitment to the platform. The challenges Watson describes, while significant, seem surmountable for a company with Microsoft’s resources and expertise.
Was it really carrier apathy and internal tool restrictions—or was it a lack of long-term vision? What’s your take?
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