Is Windows Mobile dead? That’s what some pundints are implying. Microsoft’s market share is declining in the face of steep competition from Apple, RIM, Palm and Google Android.
Justin Springham, Editor of Mobile Business Briefing offers this synopsis.
Microsoft’s keynote lasted over an hour (labelled “dull” and “boring” by many news agencies and bloggers), but less than 60 seconds were devoted to mobile.
“This year, we brought the next iteration of Windows Phones to consumers with the launch of Windows Mobile 6.5,” Ballmer told delegates. “We continue to see new and exciting Windows Phones coming to the market every month. For example, here’s the new HTC HD2, which will be available through T-Mobile. Sharper, brighter and richer screen technologies really do make a difference. We will have a lot more to say about phones next month at Mobile World Congress.”
But recent unconfirmed reports suggest launch of Windows Mobile 7 has already been pushed back to the last quarter of 2010.
This could be too little, too late. Sales of smartphones running Microsoft’s Windows Mobile operating system (OS) declined by 20 percent in the last third quarter according to Gartner, despite a 13 percent increase in the total number of smartphone sales.
Only 3.2 million smartphone units running the OS were sold in the third quarter, down from the 4.05 million units sold in the third quarter of 2008. Windows Mobile had a 7.9 percent share of the total smartphone OS market in Q3 2009, out of a total of 41 million smartphones sold to end users. Microsoft’s mobile OS even trails Apple’s mobile software, available on only one device.
Last month Microsoft UK head of mobility Phil Moore said Windows Mobile 7 phones won’t arrive on the market until late 2010. Gartner in September forecast by 2012, Android will have 18% of the smartphone market with 94 million units sold, moving it into the second spot behind Symbian, with BlackBerry in third, the iPhone in fourth and Windows Mobile trailing at fifth place.
Android phones offer turn-by-turn navigation, Voice, Search, Earth and Maps. Their apps are compelling and free. The Android Market has 20,000 applications.
Windows netbooks are where the customers are now, but Google’s ebook readers and tablets are the second wave. ARM-based gadgets are fast and cheap. They’ll run net apps. More useful than Windows Mobile. Cheaper than netbooks.
What’s Microsoft got for ereaders and tablets? Nothing. It’s now hard to imagine that Windows Mobile will ever be much of a threat to Apple or Android.
source : dailywireless.org
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