Bill Gates says his 'greatest mistake ever' was failing to create Android at Microsoft
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Bill Gates.
Bill Gates has said that his biggest mistake at Microsoft was allowing Google to develop Android - and it cost the company $400 billion.
"The greatest mistake ever is the whatever mismanagement I engaged in that caused Microsoft not to be what Android is, [meaning] Android is the standard non-Apple phone form platform. That was a natural thing for Microsoft to win," Gates said last week.YouTube/Austin Evans
Windows phones were wound down in 2017.
Read more: Microsoft's Windows Phone platform is dead
Microsoft's Windows-powered phones failed to make a significant impact on the smartphone market and enjoy the same success as Android or iPhone. This was partly because of the problems it had with its app store, specifically, retaining apps once they had been developed. Its Windows phones launched in 2010 but were phased out by 2017.Gates, who remains a board member at Microsoft, added: "We are a leading company. If we got that one right, we would be the company. But oh well." Microsoft is currently the most valuable company in the world, with a market cap of $1.05 trillion, but it vies for top spot with Apple and Amazon.You can watch the full interview with Bill Gates here:
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