Tip UsTalking to financial analysts yesterday Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer admitted sales of their Windows smartphones have disappointed. I don’t think anyone was surprised by the statement; in a market dominated by the iPhone and Android devices, Windows smartphones haven’t exactly been flying off the shelves.
“We haven’t sold quite as many as I would have liked in the first year,” Ballmer said, speaking at the company’s financial analyst meeting.
However despite the disappointing sales in the first year Ballmer is still optimistic about the future of Windows phones; he insists they are working hard to keep building the momentum of the Windows phones and has many more plans for the future.
“I’m not saying I love where we are but I am very optimistic on where we can be. We’ve just got to kick this thing to the next level,” said Ballmer.
In the current smartphone market it’s becoming increasing difficult for a new Operating System to gain any market-share. Tech giants such as Google and Apple have firmly cemented their operating systems in the market over the years, so anyone looking to compete with them requires significant investment.
So, despite the disappointing sales what Microsoft have achieved in their first year in the smartphone market is to create “a very strong third ecosystem” to offer an alternative to Android and the iPhone.
In recent years Nokia have been struggling to compete in the smartphone market, a market that they dominated for many years. However it seems Nokia will play a big part in the future of the Windows Phone 7 OS, Ballmer said, “With Nokia we have a dedicated hardware partner that is all-in on Windows Phones. They are not doing something on Android or [any other operating system].”
The partnership could well be a good deal from both sides; it gives Windows a platform in the smartphone market that they can keep building on, and for Nokia it allows them to gain back some of the market share they have lost in recent years.
No date has been announced yet but the first Nokia Windows Phones are widely expected land later this year. Microsoft have also recently finished work on Mango, the first major update to Windows Phone 7. It is available on existing phones and will come pre-installed on new Windows phones.
Can Windows Phone 7 OS compete with the Android OS and iOS? Let us know via Twitter, Facebook or leave us a comment below.
