In 2010, Microsoft’s Windows OS was launched for smartphones. Designed to complete the Windows ecosystem that’s already a market leader in the world of PC’s, the Windows smartphones were taking on stiff competition in the form of Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS. Fast forward 5 years later and multiple reiterations of Windows OS (to keep up with its desktop counterpart), Microsoft’s Windows smartphones represent less than 3 percent of the global smartphone market.

Windows Smartphones are a Flop

The Windows marketing of their smartphones has been abysmal. To a great extent, they’ve spent much of their time hyping the next big software update / OS reiteration, instead of coming up with an elegant solution in the present iterations. Just as Windows 8 turned into a black eye for the industry giant, their earlier smartphone platforms fell dramatically short. Combine this with a lack of solid hardware choices, compared to the android selection available to picky consumers, the Windows phones simply failed to catch fire.

Lack of Apps

What’s the lifeblood of every smartphone? Well, screen quality and battery life are important, but there’s nothing more critical than the apps that make our phones do all the amazing things they do for us everyday.Unfortunately, this was one of many achilles heels for Microsoft. For example, the Facebook app was present, but it wasn’t as up-to-date and feature-rich as the iPhone and Android counterparts. App developers develop their applications for iOS first. Then, they port it over to Android and almost treat Windows as an afterthought. This is primarily because the Windows operating system only represents 3% of global market share.

It’s Hard to Earn Consumer Confidence

Our smartphones are incredibly personal. They hold all of our most intimate, favorite memories. They connect us to the ones we love most in life, and allow us to stalk those we hate via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The cameras serve witness to all the amazing things that making a blog the human experience. Services like iMessage on Apple’s devices allow us to communicate with ease, compared to old-fashioned text messaging. Contacts and data are synced to Google and Apple servers, depending on the phone you carry. To get consumers to jump ship, repurchase their apps and go through the hassle of configuring contact lists, it’s going to take some serious value propositions. Windows failed to offer those things.

The Technology Treadmill is Bankrupting Consumers

To keep up with all the latest and greatest devices, many consumers stretch their bank accounts to the breaking point. With new phones, regardless of operating system, coming out every 6-12 months, keeping up with the Jones’ is an incredibly expensive proposition. Cell phone contracts, leases and installment plans allow consumers to spread out a significant portion of the cost for smartphones, but it’s incredibly easy to get in over your head. Many consumers in the UK that do end up overspending are rescued by debt resolution services.

With such heavy competition, extreme customer loyalty and costly smartphone investments, it’s no wonder that Microsoft has struggled to break into the lucrative smartphone market.