Analysts were skeptical about the Microsoft Surface lineup a year ago and some even predicted that the Redmond giant will discontinue the series. Some of this pessimism was fueled by the fact that the company was diverting more resources towards it Office and cloud services. However, Microsoft has proved them wrong as the Surface series keeps gain traction, albeit it is nowhere close to capturing the market as Apple’s iPad family.
However, some regions have seen Surface products outsell the iPad, making it an impressive feat. Speaking during an interview recently, Panos Panay, Hardware Director at Microsoft, once again cleared the air by saying that the software giant’s Surface division is here to stay.
Panos Panay Also Hinted at New Form Factors, Fueling Previously Reported Rumors of a Redesigned Surface Device
He went on to say that the Surface is a core part of the company’s strategy. As PC sales continue to decline globally, the Surface lineup has bucked the trend by generating $5 billion in annual sales. When it comes to hardware, it has been a bit of a rocky road for Microsoft. The company’s efforts to enter the smartphone market failed miserably, even though it invested heavily on Nokia smartphones.
Even building an exclusive mobile operating system wasn’t enough to make the smartphones a success at that time. Speaking on the company’s experience with Nokia’s Lumia series, Panos Panay said that it was a learning experience for the company and that they abide by their CEO Satya Nadella’s philosophy of fueling growth with failure.
While the company’s smartphone efforts failed, it does have the world’s most popular gaming consoles, the Xbox, under its belt. Panos Panay also said that the company is working on more forms and it will be coming out with more customer-focused products in the future. This gives rise to a rumor we covered stating that the new Surface Pro will feature a redesign.
Apart from the change in aesthetic, Microsoft could also adopt the Type-C USB culture and incorporate its future Surface devices with Thunderbolt 3 ports. Such ports might need a dongle, but they give you more throughput and versatility in the end. The Surface Pro 6 lineup improves considerably in performance, but the lack of USB-C must have put off a lot of potential customers.
What changes do you think Panos Panay should execute before he’s finally ready to unveil 2019 Surface family? Tell us your thoughts down in the comments.
News Source: Independent
