Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Subscribe
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Subscribe
    Home Latest News
    • Mobile
    • Networking
    • Servers

    Why Is Windows Phone Failing?

    Written by

    Nicholas Kolakowski
    Published August 8, 2011
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

      Why is Windows Phone failing?

      Granted, Microsoft always acknowledged that its latest smartphone platform would face a hard road to widespread adoption. But executives in Redmond probably had their fingers crossed that Windows Phone’s market behavior would resemble that of its Bing search engine: slow but steady incremental gains, paired with largely positive press.

      Windows Phone seems to have received largely positive press, but the platform’s so far failed to revive Microsoft’s fortunes in the smartphone space. During a July 11 keynote speech at the company’s Worldwide Partner Conference, CEO Steve Ballmer described the newish platform’s market share as “very small.”

      Research firm comScore is estimating Microsoft’s smartphone market share declined from 7.5 percent to 5.8 percent for the three-month period ending in June. That included both Windows Phone and the company’s more antiquated Windows Mobile platform, which is being phased out.

      Meanwhile, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer estimated Microsoft’s possible revenue from Windows Phone at less than $613 million. That figure came from subtracting Xbox 360-related revenue-some $8.103 billion-from that of its overall Entertainment and Devices Division, leaving $613 million split between Windows Phone and a variety of much smaller projects such as Zune and Surface.

      Microsoft’s hope is that its upcoming “Mango” update, due to final release sometime this fall, will spur greater consumer adoption. Samsung, HTC, LG Electronics and Nokia have all committed to building new Windows Phone devices preloaded with Mango, along with Acer and ZTE. Some 500 new elements to the update include expanded functionality for the Xbox Live and Office hubs, new multitasking abilities, and Bing deeply baked into the user interface.

      But it’s questionable whether those improvements will greatly boost Windows Phone’s “stickiness” in the marketplace, especially considering how Mango-loaded phones will likely hit just as one of Microsoft’s largest competitors, Apple, releases the newest iPhone loaded with the next-generation iOS operating system. Various Android manufacturers also continue to produce increasingly advanced smartphones. In fact there’s considerable risk that Microsoft will arrive at its “Mango” plateau just as its rivals jump ahead to an entirely new level-leaving Redmond, yet again, in the position having to play catch-up.

      Microsoft is also pinning its hopes on a partnership with Nokia that will see the Finnish phone-maker adopt Windows Phone as its mobile software platform. Following the announcement of that partnership earlier this year, a few analysts suggested that Nokia’s global presence would boost Windows Phone to new market heights within the next few years. Research firm IDC, for example, even went so far as to predict that Windows Phone would overcome both Apple’s iOS and Research In Motion’s BlackBerry franchise to become the second-ranked smartphone platform after Google Android.

      Ever since the deal’s announcement, though, Nokia has bled smartphone market share at a startling rate. This is attributable to a number of factors, including general abandonment of Nokia’s soon-to-be-mothballed Symbian OS, coupled with rising pressure from the flood of cheap Android smartphones into the market. In any case, Microsoft and its new partner face a considerable challenge in retaining Nokia’s previously-enviable market-share.

      No matter its presence, Nokia is unlikely to help Microsoft much in the U.S. smartphone market, where it retains a negligible presence.

      That leaves Microsoft betting that the Mango update, combined with a massive ad campaign and new manufacturing partners, will help change its trend-line among U.S. users. (The company better hope that the Mango update proceeds more smoothly than its previous software updates, which encountered delays and reports of stalled devices.) It could happen, at least in theory, but right now the numbers aren’t working in its favor.

      Follow Nicholas Kolakowski on Twitter

      Nicholas Kolakowski
      Nicholas Kolakowski
      Nicholas Kolakowski is a staff editor at eWEEK, covering Microsoft and other companies in the enterprise space, as well as evolving technology such as tablet PCs. His work has appeared in The Washington Post, Playboy, WebMD, AARP the Magazine, AutoWeek, Washington City Paper, Trader Monthly, and Private Air.

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Artificial Intelligence

      9 Best AI 3D Generators You Need...

      Sam Rinko - June 25, 2024 0
      AI 3D Generators are powerful tools for many different industries. Discover the best AI 3D Generators, and learn which is best for your specific use case.
      Read more
      Cloud

      RingCentral Expands Its Collaboration Platform

      Zeus Kerravala - November 22, 2023 0
      RingCentral adds AI-enabled contact center and hybrid event products to its suite of collaboration services.
      Read more
      Artificial Intelligence

      8 Best AI Data Analytics Software &...

      Aminu Abdullahi - January 18, 2024 0
      Learn the top AI data analytics software to use. Compare AI data analytics solutions & features to make the best choice for your business.
      Read more
      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Video

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2024 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.