Within a week of launching Lumia 950 and Lumia 950XL smartphones running on Windows 10, Microsoft has thrown out an oblique future for the devices by turning them carrier exclusive.
In a statement sent to VentureBeat, Microsoft clarified that it is improvising this strategy for the short term; in the long run the devices might support multiple carriers. The carrier for the Lumia 950 in the US market is the telecom major, AT&T, while for the European market, Deutsche Telekom has been chosen as the carrier for both the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL devices.
This strategy has met with sharp criticism across the board. Especially T-Mobile CEO John Legere, who took to twitter to express his disappointment and wrote that “Leveraging only AT&T’s channels is not enough nowadays, especially if the carrier is only going to be selling one of the two new flagship phones.” This will eventually hurt the company in the long run, he added.
Microsoft seems to be in two minds while deciding a comprehensive strategy that delivers positive results for the company. Choosing AT&T as the sole carrier is surely going to cut down the sales of the devices and its wide appeal.
The devices that are burdened to carry Microsoft’s expectations before the launch of its Surface phone and after the peak-and-trough sales of Windows 10 – thanks to a free upgrade – should had been done away with the ‘exclusive’ tag.
The company should had also paid heed to the present market trend, which is swelling with budget smartphones with support for multiple carriers. If the company is adamant on reclaiming its now dwindling glory, then it better rewash its strategy or introduce a product, like its Surface tablets that reverberate through the market.
