Windows Phone usage continues downward spiral

[Shawn Knight]

The latest US mobile subscriber report reveals troubling news for Microsoft and their efforts to compete with Android and iOS. comScore surveyed over 30,000 US mobile subscribers over the age of 13 and found that users are continuing to abandon or sidestep Windows Phone devices. 

The report comes from data generated by comScore’s MobiLens service which shows that Microsoft’s smartphone ownership is down to just 5.8 percent for the three month average ending in June 2011. This is in contrast to their March 2011 share which sat at 7.5 percent.

Microsoft is in next to last place of the five reported smartphone platforms in the study and just ahead of Symbian which holds a June 2011 share of only 2 percent.

The successor to Microsoft’s Windows Mobile platform, Windows Phone launched late last year on several carriers and devices worldwide. Microsoft was clearly late to the smartphone market but that hasn’t stopped them from playing catch-up. The Redmond-based company inked a deal with Nokia in February that would see them switch to Windows Phone as their primary smartphone platform, bumping Symbian to franchise platform status.

Microsoft also recently pushed their next operating system, code-named Mango, to developers for a fall launch. The new OS will bring several updates and new features including an HTML5 version of IE9, deep Twitter integration, better multitasking support, an improved messaging system and new Bing features.

It remains to be seen if Mango will help to right the sinking ship or if its too little, too late for Microsoft in the smartphone industry.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/44992-windows-phone-usage-continues-downward-spiral.html

 

[veLa]

It deserves to be popular. Companies need to make a Galaxy S II equivalent Windows Phone and it can sell well...

 

[gwailo247]

MS should bite the bullet and subsidize the handsets with the purchase of a 2 year contract. That way they'll get people locked in for 2 years, which will extend through the Windows 8 release. After that they'll either stand on their own two feet, or fail miserably.

 

[Guest]

Should they abandon it? That's just idiocy, should they have abandoned Internet Explorer when it was doing poorly? Or how about the Office suite? Word and Excel were the "also-rans" for about 5 years, that would have looked pretty stupid in hindsight.

Blogger need to put more thought and less spew into their posts.

 

[Wagan8r]

The only thing that's really holding back WP7 is fanboyism and irrational anti-Microsoft-ism. If WP7 was named "MeeGo", it would have been heralded as the long awaited Messiah.

 

[gwailo247]

Wagan8r said:
The only thing that's really holding back WP7 is fanboyism and irrational anti-Microsoft-ism. If WP7 was named "MeeGo", it would have been heralded as the long awaited Messiah.

I think part of the problem is the whole 2 year contract cycle. If you're in the middle of a 2 year iPhone or Android contract, you're unlikely to switch over to pay full price for a WP7 phone. And furthering the problem is that when those people's contract runs out, they have to essentially abandon their old platform, with whatever investment in apps they had to this new one.

Its not just a matter of fanboyism, I think that switching over to a WP7 phone from Android or iOS would require a substantial financial investment in new apps, and so forth. I think that MS is going to have to basically pay people to migrate over to their phone system.

Their one hope is the rather sizable segment of the population that still does not own a smart phone, and are the only segment of the market which is not financially tied to another ecosystem. They really need to push the WP7 phones on people who still have the non-smartphones.

 

[Guest]

ROTFLMAO
Nobody cares about that failed DOA platform. The proof is in the pudding and their sales are abysmally low. The copycat model did not work this time!

 

[Guest]

"Nobody cares about that failed DOA platform. The proof is in the pudding and their sales are abysmally low. "

How are those android tablets selling btw? Are they selling like hotcakes? Should Android pull out of the tablet market now too?

 

[msbpodcast]

In #1, VeLa said: "it can sell well..."

To whom?

The sad fact is that PC makers are the only ones who buy Microsoft's OS products and businesses are the only ones who buy their Office? products.

The PC makers get repeat sales of huge numbers of the platforms and only when the accountants say its okay.

Home buyers are loath to spend at any time and never upgrade. The OS doesn't even enter into consideration. (That why there are so many zombie-bots out there sending spam. Consumers don't care about performance except when they actually for over their money. After that it can degrade and they'll figure its normal. [Sends my SysAdmin friends into fits of apoplexy.])

You can't sell Windows phones to businesses because its something that's affordable enough that employees can buy it for themselves.

People don't give any more credence to the software maker that accountants do.

Apple's got the cool "Wow" factor and that's enough for them.

 

[aj_the_kidd]

Wagan8r said:
The only thing that's really holding back WP7 is fanboyism and irrational anti-Microsoft-ism. If WP7 was named "MeeGo", it would have been heralded as the long awaited Messiah.

Well I was considering the a win7 phone, but after a bit of research it was clear it wasnt polished enough for what I wanted from a phone. The fact that I like Android phones didnt play into it, I was actually excited about WP7. Right now I would choose an iPhone over WP7 and I dont like apple.

 

[Guest]

Accroding to Market Research company Kantar World Panel wp7 has grown from 1% to 2.1% of the US market in the last 12 weeks ending 10th July, so wp7 is only going to grow as more and more people find out about how awesome it is.






Apple stole from both Android and Windows phone 7 for Iphone 5 but when all is said and done wp7 will be a God awesome OS when mango drops. Even the the tech bloggers who have Iphone5 beta is saying they are finding it hard to go back to Iphone wp7 has surpassed both in beauty and functionality with Mango cause everything is integrated into the phone. wp7 Mango is super awesome.







http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DP9HlGB7Sy8&feature=relmfu







http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmB87qdwVWc&feature=related





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMd7Eb-QikA&feature=relmfu

 

[aj_the_kidd]

Guest said:
Accroding to Market Research company Kantar World Panel wp7 has grown from 1% to 2.1% of the US market in the last 12 weeks ending 10th July, so wp7 is only going to grow as more and more people find out about how awesome it is.

Apple stole from both Android and Windows phone 7 for Iphone 5 but when all is said and done wp7 will be a God awesome OS when mango drops. Even the the tech bloggers who have Iphone5 beta is saying they are finding it hard to go back to Iphone wp7 has surpassed both in beauty and functionality with Mango cause everything is integrated into the phone. wp7 Mango is super awesome.

Its going to be better but to say its going to be God awesome or super awesome might be pushing it. When it "drops" we will see, though based on your comments you've already made your mind up.

msbpodcast said:
In #1, VeLa said: "it can sell well..."

To whom?

The sad fact is that PC makers are the only ones who buy Microsoft's OS products and businesses are the only ones who buy their Office? products.

The PC makers get repeat sales of huge numbers of the platforms and only when the accountants say its okay.

Home buyers are loath to spend at any time and never upgrade. The OS doesn't even enter into consideration. (That why there are so many zombie-bots out there sending spam. Consumers don't care about performance except when they actually for over their money. After that it can degrade and they'll figure its normal. [Sends my SysAdmin friends into fits of apoplexy.])

You can't sell Windows phones to businesses because its something that's affordable enough that employees can buy it for themselves.

People don't give any more credence to the software maker that accountants do.

Apple's got the cool "Wow" factor and that's enough for them.

From the parts I could decipher, you have a interesting view, I disagree with most of it but interesting none-the-less.

 

[Archean]

Guest said:
ROTFLMAO
Nobody cares about that failed DOA platform. The proof is in the pudding and their sales are abysmally low. The copycat model did not work this time!

Such stupidity coupled with ignorance.

WP interface is totally unique, unlike Android which have 'semblance' of iPhone, but even Android is a much different OS from Apple's closed platform.

@aj
I have tried/used iOS/Android and WP7, TBH WP came out with a genuinely new interfance unlike Android and it is simple and sleek, but I would add one thing, liking or disliking an interface is purely subjective, so some people will like it whereas others may not.

 

[aj_the_kidd]

Archean said:

Guest said:
ROTFLMAO
Nobody cares about that failed DOA platform. The proof is in the pudding and their sales are abysmally low. The copycat model did not work this time!

Such stupidity coupled with ignorance.

WP interface is totally unique, unlike Android which have 'semblance' of iPhone, but even Android is a much different OS from Apple's closed platform.

@aj
I have tried/used iOS/Android and WP7, TBH WP came out with a genuinely new interfance unlike Android and it is simple and sleek, but I would add one thing, liking or disliking an interface is purely subjective, so some people will like it whereas others may not.

Ummm OK... not that I mentioned anything about UI's.

You always bring up the W7P UI, whats up with that?

 

[Arris]

I think part of the problem is the whole 2 year contract cycle. If you're in the middle of a 2 year iPhone or Android contract, you're unlikely to switch over to pay full price for a WP7 phone. And furthering the problem is that when those people's contract runs out, they have to essentially abandon their old platform, with whatever investment in apps they had to this new one.

The main reason I didn't go for WP7 is that I was stuck on a 2 year contract with Windows Mobile 6.1 and not a single OS update/fix in that 2 year time. I guess this is because they had dropped it to focus on WP7, but after that experience I wasn't comfortable going with another MS Phone OS. I originally got a Windows Mobile so I could use Office type apps and use it for business as well as personal use, but then found I hardly ever used it for "business" use. Enjoyed my Android phone immensely since upgrading from HTC Touch HD with Windows Mobile 6.1. For me, it is anti-MS but because of previous experience with their products.

 

[Guest]

Whats a Windows phone??? Who knows because they never came out on Verizon that everyone I know uses. We also want the latest and greatest. By the time Microsoft decides to...it will be way to late.

 

[Det]

The problem is that they only sell those "high quality" devices that cost more than your house.

1) Iphone has managed to sell (and still does) so well because upon the very first release there was nothing like it. Now there obviously is but it still remains a favorite for a lot of people.

2) Android did the same thing. There was (and really still isn't) nothing like it (though, I'd imagine stuff like MeeGo, WebOS and BlackBerry OS are really getting close). These devices range from very cheap to expensive hi-quality. As a frosting on the cake the Android platform evolves faster than any other. Does it still make you wonder why is Android so popular?

If _neither_ of these is enough for you, including BlackBerry, Palm, Nokia, whatever, then you _might_ get a WP7 device.

That's the problem and frankly, I'm really happy that's the case.

 

[Guest]

In all your examples they used there monopoly to push their products. I am not sure how much their monopoly will help them this time, except for the money they can throw at it. I hope they throw all the money they have at it, flush that monopoly money out of their coffers.

 

[gwailo247]

The main reason I didn't go for WP7 is that I was stuck on a 2 year contract with Windows Mobile 6.1 and not a single OS update/fix in that 2 year time. I guess this is because they had dropped it to focus on WP7, but after that experience I wasn't comfortable going with another MS Phone OS. I originally got a Windows Mobile so I could use Office type apps and use it for business as well as personal use, but then found I hardly ever used it for "business" use. Enjoyed my Android phone immensely since upgrading from HTC Touch HD with Windows Mobile 6.1. For me, it is anti-MS but because of previous experience with their products.

Yeah, I had an HTC Touch running WP 6, and while I thought it was ok, compared to other phones it was pretty bad. I was looking forward to an update or two as well, and when I discovered that MS is pretty much abandoning WP6, I said F-it and went with a Pre.

That being said, I'll probably give them a shot as by all accounts they're on par with iOS and Android.

 

[SNGX1275]

Should they abandon it? That's just idiocy, should they have abandoned Internet Explorer when it was doing poorly? Or how about the Office suite? Word and Excel were the "also-rans" for about 5 years, that would have looked pretty stupid in hindsight.

Blogger need to put more thought and less spew into their posts.

What? When were Word and Excel not dominant for a 5 year span? Maybe in the mid 80s..? They were big sellers on Macs back then, not sure what DOS users were using, perhaps Wordperfect? In any case, I really don't think Office was getting significantly outplayed by anyone else for 5 years.

 

[Leeky]

I currently now own a Samsung Omnia7 WP7 mobile phone, and I have to say I do very much like it.

It is totally different to anything else, runs smoothly, and is easy to use.

My only issues with it are lack of software like for iPhone/Android, and the sync on the emails (hotmail and my gmail) don't seem to update as well as they do with Android. Its no biggy, as the emails come through instantly, but I always found with my Android phones that it updated if I had been accessing gmail through my PC browser, and was the same on my phone in minutes. On the Samsung it seems to take a few mins, and some emails I read on my PC are still unread on my phone a while later.

I'm happy I got it, most of the stuff that I no longer can use (compared to Android) aren't essential and I don't feel worse off at all.