Will 2012 Be The Year Of Windows Phone?

[Brad Wasson]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://robtiffany.com/windows-phone/prediction-2012-will-be-the-year-of-windows-phone' target='_blank'>http://robtiffany.com/windows-phone...f-windows-phone</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"So here we stand with the best smartphone operating system, best hardware, best development tools and the best mobile web browser. I'm certain that Windows Phone with its army of app developers, OEMs and Mobile Operator partners will be marching to victory this year."</em></p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/wpt/auto/1326138910.usr110171.jpg" style="border: 0;" /></p><p>Yes it will, says Rob Tiffany in his blog. How is he so sure? Well, he thinks it's a convergence of a number of factors that play well into Microsoft's hands. For instance, he believes that exciting new hardware options will entice customers from a handset perspective, and developers will be able to develop compelling new apps using Microsoft's effective development environment. Good points, and indeed these will be important factors. I think marketing, product positioning with both vendors and the public, and continual evolution of the reference hardware specs will be important too. Read through his blog and the drop over to our forums to let us know if you think 2012 will be "the" year for Windows Phone.</p>

[Macguy59]

Waiting for the Lumia 900 hitting in March to take the plunge

[Sven Johannsen]

Brad touched on it, but I really think they need to consider adding an army of marketeers to that army of app developers, OEMs and Mobile Operator partners. With some exceptions, those last two catagories don't have a significant commitment in the success of the platform..they have plenty of other stuff to sell and derive revenue from.

[Don Tolson]

Brad touched on it, but I really think they need to consider adding an army of marketeers to that army of app developers, OEMs and Mobile Operator partners. With some exceptions, those last two catagories don't have a significant commitment in the success of the platform..they have plenty of other stuff to sell and derive revenue from.

Totally agree with Sven.. WP7 phones won't 'take off' until they are SEEN in the cellular providers' stores. Except for us geeks to want the latest and greatest from what we see on the internet, the vast majority of buyers simply look at what's available from the providers (at least here in NA).

Microsoft's challenge is to convince the cellular networks to have more than one WP7 phone on their list of available phones.

[virain]

And it looks like MS understand that without Carriers and OEMs support it has no chance to succed. That's why MS throw money first at Nokia and not it's AT&T time read the article: http://www.phonearena.com/news/Microsoft-to-pay-AT-T-reps-200-million-in-the-U.S.-to-recommend-Windows-Phone-models_id26311

[Don Tolson]

And it looks like MS understand that without Carriers and OEMs support it has no chance to succed. That's why MS throw money first at Nokia and not it's AT&T time read the article: http://www.phonearena.com/news/Microsoft-to-pay-AT-T-reps-200-million-in-the-U.S.-to-recommend-Windows-Phone-models_id26311

I guess bribes is one way to go, but we REALLY need (at least here in Canada) is PRODUCT IN THE STORES!

We need the cellular networks to actually buy-into and support WP7 phones on their networks. Then the OEMs will acquire the phones to sell in their stores!

[Paragon]

Yup, Sven has it right. The OEMs and carriers aren't fully behind this platform. It is not user friendly for them. They are dictated to as to what the hardware must be , how many buttons there can be, and what they must do. They are told when updates are done, and they must do them. They aren't allowed to change the interface in any way. There are simply too many obsticals in their way compared to an OS such as Android. Why use multiple devices with so many rules that must be followed to the letter when you have easier choices with fewer strings attached.

Lighten up Microsoft. You don't really have any OEMs willing to make the full commitment to your platform other than Nokia, and you are paying them 1 billion dollars a year to use your platform.

Dave

[Sven Johannsen]

They {OEMs} are dictated to as to what the hardware must be , how many buttons there can be, and what they must do. They are told when updates are done, and they must do them. They aren't allowed to change the interface in any way.
I'm not sure that has to be a problem. Sure, they can have more fun with Android, but that also dilutes the experience and complicates the engineering/manufacturing. If I could get everyone to buy Model A, why would I want to make three models to spread amongst the same buyers? Apple has done reasonably well ;) with a single model. I think there is enough leeway for the OEMs to differentiate; keyboards, cameras, screen types, weight, battery life; to allow choice, without the 'fragmentation' that is hurting Android, and had a hand in killing Windows Mobile. Maybe I'm wrong here and they like churing out device after device. At least Nokia has shown you can apply some style to the problem.

So, what is the difference between Apple, which has one model (basically), Android which is sported on 26 models at AT&T alone and Windows Phone? Some people know they want an iPhone when they walk into the store. Same with a Droid (of whatever flavor). But what's a Microsoft phone? They make phones? Oh, a Windows Phone...I don't want that, I have Windows on my PC and it's too hard. Then you have to get passed the salespeople and store managers, that for whatever reason, don't seem to want to sell Windows Phones.

What needs to change is the perception, and that is marketing, pure and simple. You can debate forever on whether 'Windows' was the right label to saddle the device with. There are pro and con arguments, but that is what it is. I honestly don't know what the answer or approach should be, but getting the public to be aware of Windows Phone and what it provides is job one.

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

Mobile Opportunity has a nice article about WebOS. It has points that are related to WP7 (in fact, the comments section is pretty interesting too). http://mobileopportunity.blogspot.com/2012/01/why-web-os-really-failed-and-what-it.html

[Paragon]

I'm not sure that has to be a problem. ..........................................What needs to change is the perception, and that is marketing,

Points well taken, Sven. I can't disagee with them. However the carriers seem to feel it is too much effort for them. I think you are right about the perception, and that's not something that Microsoft has ever put much into. They tend to put products out there telling everyone "This is what you want" and it sells. If not they yank it after a few attempts. Promoting a product has never been their strong suit.

Dave

[Sven Johannsen]

They tend to put products out there telling everyone "This is what you want" and it sells.
Sadly that didn't work to well with Palm-sized PC (remember that), Plays-for-Sure, Portable Media Center, Pocket PC, PPC- Phone Edition, Smartphone, Windows Mobile, Zune...see a pattern here ;) ?

Would be nice if they would figure this out. Be a shame to have only two options (not counting niche OSs) for Smartphones. Guess if forced I would go back to iOS over Android, stability, ecosystem.

[BBF]

So over a year into Windows Phone... and...
Yes, the UI is the most modern of any smartphone, most ergonomic as well, and the developer tools are most developer friendly.... but unfortunately when you're third to market, it doesn't take market share away from the two major leaders... actually market share is even less than when Windows Mobile was around, (but most probably larger numbers than Windows Mobile) I guess I'm ignoring RIM, but they're in their own world of hurt market share wise.

I agree with Sven... MSFT needs to find a way to market a competent phone platform to the masses.... the iPhone is cool, android phones are for the geeky and for the budget minded. Windows Phone is somewhere in between... and that doesn't sell huge numbers of phones.

Just look at xda-developers... it used to be a purely Windows Mobile site, and now it's more of an Android site than a Windows Phone site... that's really saying something about a shift in the enthusiast community.

When major manufacturers like HTC and Samsung come out with Android phones every couple of months with nifty new hardware features, Windows Phone is stuck with a hardware spec from mid 2010 (basically the same as the WM6.5 LG Fathom I use as a MP3 player) it makes it a hard sell to current consumers. There's little argument that even the previous generation iPhone 4 had superior hardware specs compared to the high spec windows phone processor/screen resolution configuration, let alone the 4s. Apple updates their phones once a year, major every two years... nothing from the Windows Phone front since they launched. Oh... yeah, to prevent fragmentation... and unfortunately ensures that the hardware is uncompetitive with current Android hi-spec phones and the iPhone 4s.

I'm off contract for my Touch Pro 2 (yep Windows Mobile 6.5 baaaaby that can also run Android off the microSD) in two months and didn't think Windows Phone was for me when they came out in late 2010, and considering the stagnant hardware specs for over a year it's certainly not going to be attractive to me now. Let's hope MSFT releases a new spec platform soon.... hopefully when the 28nm Quad-core Snapdragons start shipping at the end of the first quarter... else it will definitely hard for me to resist an Android ICS based quad-core snapdragon phone .

[Paragon]

Sadly that didn't work to well with Palm-sized PC (remember that).

I'm not old enough to remember that. ;)

[BBF]

Well two months after my post saying that I'd leave the Microsoft Family and go Google... it didn't happen. I've got to EAT MY WORDS!!!! SmokedbyWindowsPhone happened.

One way to get me to forego spending $$$ on a Krait based dual core Android phone like the HTC One S/X is to GIVE ME A WINDOWS 7.5 PHONE PHONE FOR FREE!!!!

I'll still be keeping my secondary LG Fathom 1GHz Snapdragon WM6.5.3 phone for MP3/Podcast and USB activesync use with my work Outlook. Currently there's no Windows Phone Phone that can rival its 32MB microSD storage and is compatible with USB activesync... the only activesync my company allows.

It's disappointing that Windows Phone still doesn't sync with activesync through the USB port... but whatever... Microsoft never listens to me anyways.

Microsoft can't keep this up forever... giving phones away for free with no strings attached is expensive.

[leyonchung]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://robtiffany.com/windows-phone/prediction-2012-will-be-the-year-of-windows-phone' target='_blank'>http://robtiffany.com/windows-phone...f-windows-phone</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"So here we stand with the best smartphone operating system, best hardware, best development tools and the best mobile web browser. I'm certain that Windows Phone with its army of app developers, OEMs and Mobile Operator partners will be marching to victory this year."</em></p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/wpt/auto/1326138910.usr110171.jpg" style="border: 0;" /></p><p>Yes it will, says Rob Tiffany in his blog. How is he so sure? Well, he thinks it's a convergence of a number of factors that play well into Microsoft's hands. For instance, he believes that exciting new hardware options will entice customers from a handset perspective, and developers will be able to develop compelling new apps using Microsoft's effective development environment. Good points, and indeed these will be important factors. I think marketing, product positioning with both vendors and the public, and continual evolution of the reference hardware specs will be important too. Read through his blog and the drop over to our forums to let us know if you think 2012 will be "the" year for Windows Phone.</p>

This year can belongs to Windows Phone. But up till now it seems like that Apple will take a lead. Apple will sooner launch another smart phone with latest technologies called iPhone 5. So Windows will have to work hard to take a lead in this competitive environment

[mbranscum]

2013 will be the year.