Depending on how long you've been using smartphones, you might have some pretty nostalgic memories of using mobile operating systems that are no longer with us. There are days when I miss using a BlackBerry -- even for the software. It's usually a fleeting moment, but a moment nonetheless.
And I've made my case for wanting webOS to make a huge comeback in this day and age.
More often than not, it's something that I see online that triggers the look back into history. Some person who posts a photo on Twitter or some other social network that shows off an old phone or something. In most cases it's not about wanting something to come back (with the exception of webOS), because the reasons why it didn't work out in the first place would more than likely repeat themselves.
Sometimes I wonder if this is the year that Microsoft announces some kind of comeback of its own into the smartphone market. While I don't think that's likely --it was a moment of self-awareness for the company to officially move away from it in the first place-- but, even if it just meant some kind of Surface Phone that was geared towards the enterprise, some might see that as better than nothing.
And then I saw the picture at the top of this article (shared by @mahoekst) and I couldn't help but miss Windows Phone. Not Windows 10 Mobile, but old school Windows Phone. Microsoft used to have such lofty goals for its mobile operating system, a vision that would bring together all of its services and devices, and yes, it did kind of see the light of day with Windows 10 Mobile, so kudos there.
But maybe the dreams and the aspirations were more exciting than the real end result. Whatever the case may be in that regard, Windows Phone was such a breath of fresh air back then. Something different with its Live Tiles, and one of the best software keyboards on the market. A variety of hardware options, too, which was pretty awesome.
That sticker made me miss Windows Phone again, and for a brief second there I wish I could pick one up and try it out -- but I haven't had a Windows Phone device in years.
Do I want Microsoft to give it another shot? That's a tough question, because it goes back to the part above where I said the reasons it went away in the first place would probably crop back up and drag it down into the darkness again. I don't know if Microsoft can convince developers to support Windows Phone/Mobile now, or ever. iOS and Android just have a stranglehold in that department.
I don't want to see Microsoft launch Android phones, though. Unless they can bring something new and exciting to the table.
Do you ever find yourself missing Windows Phone these days?