Windows Phones could get bigger while Windows RT tablets get smaller. In fact, the two platforms are likely to share apps, based on comments from Microsoft Executive Vice President Terry Myerson. ZDNet tuned in to Microsoft’s analyst call on Thursday and heard Myerson say this:
“Windows RT was our first ARM tablet. And as phones extend into tablets, expect us to see many more ARM tablets, Windows ARM tablets in the future.”
Both Microsoft’s phones and tablets already share a fairly common hardware architecture: They run on ARM-based chips, for example, and use flash memory for storage. The biggest hardware difference between the two are the screen sizes: One is small enough to fit in a pocket while the other is bigger for a more immersive experience. To some extent that’s already changing: Nokia is reportedly working on a 6-inch Windows Phone.
Back in February we had additional clues of this strategy: Microsoft posted a job opening that suggested application unification across Windows Phone and Windows 8. Surely Windows RT is part of that strategy; with the tiled interface it’s far more like Windows Phone than Windows 8.
I haven’t been kind to Windows RT in the past. Not because I don’t like the platform or the hardware that runs it. But it never represented a good value compared to full Windows 8 tablets with similar battery life and performance with no price premium. But unifying phones and tablets with cross-device applications could change that value proposition. Let’s see what Microsoft cooks up.
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