Comments on: Microsoft exec predicts big growth for Windows Mobile

A Microsoft executive in Asia says the company is expecting over 50 percent growth from its Windows Mobile operating system over the next couple of years, but it faces stiff competition from rivals.

[Constable Odo]

Why all of sudden such a large growth spurt for WinMo? It's been around for years and yet the BlackBerry has the largest market share for smartphones with the iPhone in second. Within a year Apple's iPhone will be in first place and BlackBerry will have an easy second place and Nokia will probably be in third place. WinMo is going nowhere. Android OS will probably take away market share from WinMo. MS had the same dream with the Zune and see where that got them.

[The_Decider]

Instead of producing something of value, MS prefers to try to trick people into believing nonsense.

[DrtyDogg]

Where are you getting your market share numbers from? Every report I've seen shows symbian in 1st Windows Mobile in 2nd and Blackberry in 3rd. iPhone in the others category.

[Penguinisto]

DD- the market numbers come from Canalys, which is an industry standard. The latest batch of numbers show the iPhone at #1 in North America, Symbian still holding #1 globally. Windows Mobile is #3 in North America, and almost at statistical zero globally.

[Penguinisto]

DD- the market numbers come from Canalys, which is an industry standard. The latest batch of numbers show the iPhone at #1 in North America, Symbian still holding #1 globally. Windows Mobile is #3 in North America, and almost at statistical zero globally.

[RompStar_420]

Win Mobile is a piece of trash. I had a motorola Q with version 5, it was a piece of crap. I migrated to BlackBerry (and I love it), stable and it works. No more rebooting the damn thing 3 times a day.

Then two of my friends say, whatever, we are getting WinMobile (version 6), after a year, one of my friend stepped on his phone broke it, threw it out and got a Spring phone loaded with palm (works great), his WinMobile phone didn't even last the 2 year contract, more like 1 year of frustration. The other friend also hates it, but because he got a job a tMicrosoft, he is stuck using it, he hates it everyday!

Microsoft has been promissing a lot of trash for years, never delivering. Their phones are garbage!!!! not worth anything but a lot of lost money and frustration.

[RompStar_420]

Win Mobile is a piece of trash. I had a motorola Q with version 5, it was a piece of crap. I migrated to BlackBerry (and I love it), stable and it works. No more rebooting the damn thing 3 times a day.

Then two of my friends say, whatever, we are getting WinMobile (version 6), after a year, one of my friend stepped on his phone broke it, threw it out and got a Spring phone loaded with palm (works great), his WinMobile phone didn't even last the 2 year contract, more like 1 year of frustration. The other friend also hates it, but because he got a job a tMicrosoft, he is stuck using it, he hates it everyday!

Microsoft has been promissing a lot of trash for years, never delivering. Their phones are garbage!!!! not worth anything but a lot of lost money and frustration.

[bighard]

Windows mobile will go nowhere the day when you get Android for free. Symbian will die slowly in the smartphone market, Nokia will change to their own Linux System and most of the others will change to Android if Google do their work right and yes, there is one third power left , Apple will grow more and faster then anyone in the mobile industry can imagine.

[Penguinisto]

Wow - that's a whole lot of hype for a product that has basically fallen on its face from Day One. To top it off, there's no compelling reason at all given - no new features, no new OS release, no new and/or radical change in the UI (which needs a ton of help - you simply cannot wedge a desktop UI onto a phone and expect it to sell). A vague reference to smartphones picking up in sales overall won't mean jack if all the customers are lined up at the Apple Stores or busy buying Blackberries...

[delf76]

I like Windows, but Windows Mobile needs some serious overhauling in order to make it a great product.

[Maccess]

Hahahaha! Apple's iPhone outsells all Windows Mobile devices combined. Do you see anyone lining up and excited about Windows Mobile Phones? Symbian rules the smartphone arena, with the iPhone next, then maybe Android.

This is where Windows Mobile lost it:
"This version includes an updated browser, which is supposed to make Internet surfing on a mobile phone look and feel like it does on a desktop. " Who wants a smart phone that looks and feels like a desktop computer? Are you nuts?

Steve Jobs, when he was asked about claims that the Zune would take a large chunk of the protable music player market, said: "Was he inebriated? Do you actually know anyone who owns a Zune?"

[DrtyDogg]

It's actually Symbian, Windows Mobile, Blackberry, and then iPhone. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smartphone

[ebaileymershon]

Used Treo phones for years. Had to go to the WM device last year, corporate switched to BlackBerry this year. A wonderful device. Just what are those MS execs smoking? Unfortunately i know one person who owns a Zune. She liked the chocolate color. My iPod Nano is in storage. One device can do it all for 1/3 the price of an iPhone or WM device.

[KTLA_knew]

"It's been around for years and yet the BlackBerry has the largest market share for smartphones with the iPhone in second."

Heh. Enjoying the Kool-Aid? Apple has a target of selling 10 million phones TOTAL by year's end. (And kudos for them in doing so.)

In comparison, WinMo is on target to sell *20 MILLION* copies of WinMo in just the one fiscal year ending in June.

I'll leave the trivial web searches up to you. Come out of the bubble. The fresh air is nice, the lies stink. Most of use use phones for talking, not as figures of idolotry, anyway.

[Penguinisto]

He's talking about the North American market, where RIM/Blackberry is indeed #1, followed by the iPhone, with Windows Mobile a distant third. The one and only place on the globe where Windows Mobile has any sort of lead is in Asia. Also, you confuse selling just OS copies (e.g. Windows Mobile), to selling whole phones (iPhone/OSX). It's easy to sell OS copies (esp. if you channel-stuff the numbers), as downstream vendors usually over-stock COA's anyway. OTOH, the iPhone is selling full-on, one at a time, and is still beating the crap out of Windows Mobile in North America.

[maverick_nick]

While the iPhone would probably be the biggest winner among general consumers, I think Windows Mobile will get more affection from businesses that are using Microsoft Exchange. You should also remember that there are two types of Windows Mobile operating systems, namely Smartphone and Pocket PC. The smartphone version isn't all that great, but the pocket PC version is pretty cool. I do however feel that Google's Android will be the cat amongst the pigeons. At the end of the day the most important feature of any OS is not simply the OS itself, but the applications available for it, and that's where I see Google taking the cake.

[Penguinisto]

Not true, actually... most Enterprise customers are using Blackberries that hook into Exchange (or whatever IMAP server) via BES. This has been going on for years now. I agree on Android - if it gets adopted by enough phone makers and takes off. The iPhone has proven itself to be pretty rapacious on the few markets it has been introduced in (it destroyed Windows' marketshare in North America, and is poised to swallow anything that's not Symbian in Europe when the 3G version releases).

[jrm125]

I know everyone disagrees with me, but I like Windows Mobile. I've had it since 2002, then 2003, and then WM5. The first few had their issues, but I've found WM5 to be quite excellent. I enjoy the plethora of apps available, and at this point I'm very used to the interface and find it quite speedy.

I'm using a Cingular 3125 phone. I'm hoping my next phone will be an HTC Touch Diamond.

[floydaddict]

You don't know nothing !

the iPhone 3G does not stand for third generation as you said but for HSPA network capabilities

it will be the second generation !

[SomeGuyinSantaClara]

Windows Mobile is a great idea, but if Microsoft wants to get an edge, they need to provide more suppot and actually issue updates to fix the bugs the the Mobile OS! I find myself having to reboot my phone. Not convinient at all yet there are never any updates to download in the automatic updates feature in my phone.

[CarMatchPro]

I'm sure the boys at SEOhollywood will be talking about this soon enough.
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/447192

[benjaminstraight]

Win Mo will work the bugs out. Maybe the prediction is right.