It's only a matter of time before Microsoft makes a new Windows Phone

In the Al era, it's inevitable.

- JOHN BRANDON

Te world of technology is changing right before our eyes. Case in point: Artificial intelligence is more than just a passing fad, considering how many companies are investing in it, retooling their product offerings, and even redefining their company mission and structure around Al.

One company that is in the throes of restructuring around Al is arguably the most famous tech firm in history, with apologies to Apple fans. Microsoft has embedded Copilot Al in almost all of its consumer product offerings, from Bing to Outlook to Windows.

Recently, officials even suggested there could be a much more “Agentic AI” Windows OS system by 2030. (Agentic AI is an emerging technology where AI does work on our behalf, without direct human involvement. It means AI can think and act autonomously.) A thinking machine, running on your computer, solving problems. That sounds ideal, but for a mobile-centric world, there is only one inevitable conclusion to draw.

WINDOWS PHONE: RISING FROM THE ASHES?

Microsoft discontinued its Windows Phone (and Windows Mobile) platform almost a decade ago. As someone who lived through the ups and downs of multiple mobile releases, major hardware transitions, and ultimately a failed attempt to take on Apple's iOS and Google’s Android, I can tell you that Windows Phone and Windows Mobile never had a chance.

The underlying issue was the app infrastructure. You would think a Windows app could be easily ported to Windows Phone, but the process was cumbersome and time-consuming for mobile developers. Many of them didn’t even make Windows apps, so there was no real incentive to rebuild an app like Slack or Trello for Windows Phone.