RSSWill two Windows Mobiles get consumers interested?
By Tim Conneally | Published August 20, 2009, 6:57 PM
A recent Digitimes report told us what we already sort of knew, but phrased it in such a way that the tech media did a huge double take.
It said that Microsoft will launch Windows Mobile 6.5 in October, and then Windows Mobile 7 in the fourth quarter of next year...pretty much a verbatim repeat of what Steve Ballmer said about the platform last March. However, the report goes on to say that Microsoft will be running what it calls "a dual-platform strategy to allow Microsoft to compete with the Android-based platform using Windows Mobile 6.5 and also compete with iPhones leveraging Windows Mobile 7."
Microsoft didn't really confirm or deny that it will be selling multiple mobile operating systems at the same time. "We have said we will deliver new Windows phones this fall and we remain on track to do that. We have nothing new to say about future versions," a representative said.
But it really doesn't need to explain, this would rather nicely clarify why Microsoft will be making a push with "Windows Phone", a brand that will come to represent all Windows Mobile devices simultaneously.
But this is Microsoft, not exactly the masters of memorable branding.
"I think it would be a major mistake for Microsoft to run with two parallel mobile operating systems," Jack Gold, President of analysis and consulting firm J. Gold Associates told Betanews this afternoon. "They have done this in the past and it only confused the market and made it harder for them to sell their vision."
Indeed, if this is Microsoft's strategy, it will not only need to have a decent OS to counter each of the dominant brands, but also some way to differentiate one "Windows Phone" from another. Furthermore, the strategy speaks only to the consumer segment, and not the enterprise segment where Windows Mobile has its strongest following.
But then, that could be the idea.
"If Microsoft does not do something to generate consumer interest and move beyond their primarily enterprise constituency, they can not hope to achieve the market share they want," Gold continued. "Consumer-chosen devices are becoming prevalent in enterprises of all sizes, and end users are much more often getting to pick their own devices (within certain constraints.)"
"This bodes well for 'sexy' devices like iPhone, Pre and Android, and badly for Windows Mobile, at least until Windows Mobile 7 features catch up. But that is a year away, and Microsoft could lose a lot of market share in the next year."
used windows mobile 5 and 6... if they want to succeed at a phone OS, it needs to be far more than an incremental upgrade... WinMO is a horrific phone OS compared to ALL of the competition... they're not getting blown out of the water, per se... they were never in the water to begin with.
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|"'Will two Windows Mobiles get consumers interested?"
This is a crappy title, the majority don't even know their phone has an OS.
They couldn't care less what kind of OS it is.
Windows is losing end of story.
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|whatever they decide to do, they have to do it fast..the clock is ticking and they are loossing market share day by day...
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|Why is 7 taking soooooo long?
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|This sounds like a great strategy. ROFL. Can't wait to watch Microsoft fail yet again.
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|I think they need to figure out how to be a whole lot less boring. My eyes glazed over reading this. I don't think boring is selling as well as it used to.
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|I've been a Windows Mobile user for about three years now. It's easy for me to keep the different versions straight, but that's only because I'm a geek and am supposed to know this stuff. Joe Blow won't care, and I have to agree that trying to maintain two completely separate SKUs of Windows Mobile is only going to hurt Microsoft. The only way I can see this working is if they share the same code base and enable the iPhone-like features on the devices that support it, and leave an alternate interface in tact for phones that won't. Or better yet, stick to a single mobile OS, and let the consumer decide on the interface. The tech-minded of us will do so, anyhow, since these devices are so hackable.
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|I dont think its necessarily a bad thing. From what I've seen, 6.5 looks surprisingly nice, and I can only wonder what 7 is going to be like.
6.5 looks better than iPhone already, so I hope we can see some serious competition, finally!!
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|I love my Mogul with Windows 6.2. I can stream internet through it to my laptop either wirelessly or through the usb cable. So, if I'm in the middle of the Mojave dessert in Calfornia, I can still be on the internet. And to think sprint wants me to pay for a usb wireless device or portable wireless router. Forget them. I love my windows device!
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|Hmmm...I've been tethering my Sprint phone(s) to my computer since 2006, even in California, but never in a dessert. I don't care for all that sugar. ;-)
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|I did't know there was a 6.2. Wonder if it will run on my tilt.... Bing!
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|I been using 6.5 (Zune-like interface) It is a lot better then 6.1 and much easier to use. I've also played around with what is being dubbed as 6.5.1 which is to make it rely less on a stylus, its still quite buggy though but its getting there.
Win mo 7 from the description and the possible screenshots look quite impressive. I like the Win mo phone because its a tweaker's dream and with the marketplace coming I believe the apps will be of better quality then they are now and a lot easier to find.
As it stands finding apps can be a chore as there is not a centralized area they reside.
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|Bah...
6.5 to take the "cheap-o" phone market (low requirements, cheaper hardware...the "free" phones) and 7 for the iPhone competition.
*shrug*
Sounds god to me. Any competition against the iPhone is a good thing.
....preferably on the Verizon network. :p
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