++ the future of Microsoft Lumia mobile phones ++

The device's history explains the weird pricing. - I did say it was *some* encouragement :)

As I understand it the name has been sold to a different company who are the ones committed to the new production.

• the update process can be a constructive + experience or a process in which you feel that the puzzle is not complete (e.g. blue screen, sync issues or the new version looks less stable than the previous one) // maybe pro assistance can help via Feedback Hub //

++ we have a little sensation as Wiley Fox (UK) becomes the 1st pioneer to relaunch production of a pro model powered by Windows 10 mobile (there are many great apps & the average user needs under 100 apps)

++ also update for Gestures & Touch, a symbolic step, which can signify new feature updates for the competitive Windows 10 mobile // 

++ & looks like modern cars will have quite strong OSs & maybe one day Windows will power an electric Mercedes F1 car //

Agreed, the work should start with the base of Windows Users who are still on Desktop - focus on making their life less defect prone, avoid the upgrade hell we all go through occasionally and significantly reduce the footprint and bloat of the code then *when* people are happy that MS have put them at the centre of the experience instead of 'one of the things we have to put up with' they could announce a new devices and the extension would be a natural fit. 

Might take a while …..

It's about perception not reality, apple have built their entire business on that quirk of human nature without, apparently, understanding it.

edit because you added to the answer:

I agree MS are in danger of losing relevance to the individual consumer but that may be a chosen strategy rather than a mistake

• agree with the comment about 2015 and continuum which had a slight possibility of disruption but they were already more focussed on Surface than Mobile. Still not seeing the relevance of Messi to the discussion
• agree that Mobile is one of the obvious consumer facing elements to drive UWP but UWP itself does not need Mobile, companies are always looking for ways to develop for multiple platforms so that code can be re-used and UWP could theoretically contribute in that space but the support model has been weak and too obviously an attempt to bind people to the MS ecosystem with limited return
• marketing slogans like 'never compromise' are a hostage to fortune when this years' 'biggest screen, thinnest device' is next years brick. Apple's 'Think Different' looks similarly weak when you look at the battery and graphics chip issues. However MS are the kings of compromise, usually in favour of the share price at a cost to consumers. Witness the problems with W10 introduction and the instability they caused. If they'd bitten the bullet and 'not compromised' they could have launched a much smaller, cleaner version of W10 and told the market to upgrade if they wanted the 'power' - this would also have had benefits on Mobile and particularly Surface. Unfortunately they had embarked on a strategy to merge the Windows code bases and that means a compromised offering that was flaky and difficult to support
• maintaining hobby branch is a laudable goal (particularly when its me that benefits) but its also expensive and at some point becomes a vanity project, this might be ok in the F1 world where Mercedes performance in a race is not directly tied to sales but in the world of software there's always someone else with an eye on your lunch and vanity projects are far less valuable