We all need to be on the same page. What is a Smartphone exactly? A Smartphone is an electronic device that has mobile capabilities (i.e, you can call someone with it) and also has basic PC functions. Smartphones are not simply phones that run Windows Mobile. A Blackberry is a smartphone, for example.
Typically, if your phone has a touch screen, it is referred to as a Pocket PC rather than a Smartphone. Pocket PC’s have more PC functionality overall.
Smartphones are here to stay for the next decade or so. What will change though is who possesses the majority of Smartphone market share in this time. According to market share data from Canalys, the iPhone, Blackberry, and Google Android operating systems took a huge bite out of Windows Mobile’s warm apple pie in 2009. In fact, Android surpassed Windows Mobile’s growth rate in Q2 of 2009. Uh oh. This has scared the shit out of the Windows Mobile team, which explains why Steve Ballmer (Microsoft’s CEO) is revamping his Windows Mobile team personally. And since HTC manufactures 80% of Smartphones today, Microsoft doesn’t want them signing any long term contracts with Google Android or Palm.
{democracy:2}
I’m certainly an avid Windows Mobile fan, but Microsoft did lose in the Smartphone market share challenge of 2009. Definitely expect more from Microsoft with Windows Mobile 7. If they don’t pull through, they will be out for good.
What is going on here? Project Pink? It’s a codename for the new Windows Mobile team that Microsoft is thrusting full throttle. Only a few minor details are known about project Pink. In short, it involves the integration of the Zune platform with Windows Mobile 7, but like I said the details are shady. It’s great news though to see Microsoft making innovated, albeit risky decisions.
EDIT, November 20th, 2009. Windows Mobile 7 will actually be officially announced at the MIX conference in MARCH of 2010. I can only assume that Ballmer will give us a release date for WM7. Getting exciting boy.
It’s a little too easy to say that Windows Mobile 7, Microsoft’s little secret, will be here “soon”. That’s not soon enough!
The fact of the matter is, Windows Mobile 7 won’t have an official, official date until late 2010. Most likely October. Why? Because Microsoft can sit back in their comfy recliners and throw us release dates all day. But they’ve already changed Windows Mobile 7′s release date twice (it was pushed back because of 6.5 and then again for unexplained reasons).
Keep in touch though and don’t lose hope. Microsoft is determined to make Windows Mobile 7 a success, says CEO Steve Ballmer. We know Microsoft won’t leave us consumers out in the wind.
All I can say is that the Windows Mobile team has admitted defeat in the Smartphone market share arena. They are going to take as much time as they need in order to be sure they have their big corporate foot in the door.
