Microsoft has finally learned something about marketing from Apple and launched its first Windows Phone 7 handsets with a fanfare, announcing global handset and operator partners and even games from EA Games.
The devices will begin shipping in Europe, North America and Asia Pacific with over 60 mobile operators in 30 countries, in time for the holidays in 2010, by which Microsoft means the US Thanksgiving holiday on November 25.
Of course, given Microsoft’s utter failure in the past to understand that Windows is nothing but a problem on a phone, not an asset, we wouldn’t be at all surprised if this was yet another flop. Microsoft may have finally created a good, up to date mobile operating system, but its succession of failures to ‘get’ the mobile space in the past will have left consumers avoiding that Windows logo. But given the weight of devices, with phones from HTC, Samsung, LG and Dell on day one, and operators including AT&T and T-Mobile in the US, Telus in Canada, Am’rica M’vil in Mexico and O2, Orange , SFR, Telefonica and Vodafone in Europe and SingTel, Telstra and Vodafone again in Asia Pacific, Microsoft is bound to sell SOME phones.
But for the most part these operators have taken one or two Windows Phone 7 phones out of a portfolio of hundreds, and for many they replace older Windows phones, so unless they are the focus of core advertising campaigns, this may be a case of each operator just covering the bases, rather than truly backing the OS.
It will make some difference that EA Mobile, a division of Electronic Arts has released its first wave of EA games on the platform with first titles shipping in 2010. This is a case of Microsoft leveraging its Xbox franchise to get a partner on-board (whether it thinks it’s a good idea or not). Microsoft is saying that this is part of a ‘managed portfolio of Xbox Live titles, which means that handsets will be able to play across the Microsoft gaming network and track and share scores and unlock extra features called Xbox Live Achievements. Scores on the phones will add to the player’s overall Gamerscore and the phones will have IM connectivity to known Xbox listed ‘friends.’ It’s not a great piece of gaming leverage compared to Apple’s vast number of iPhone games, but it’s some and some kids will go to the phone store wanting an ‘Xbox compatible phone.’.
‘We have a beautiful lineup in this first wave of Windows Phone 7 handsets,’ said Steve Ballmer, chief executive officer at Microsoft. ‘Microsoft and its partners are delivering a different kind of mobile phone and experience ‘ one that makes everyday tasks faster by getting more done in fewer steps and providing timely information in a ‘glance and go’ format.’
With the main Smart phone battle being between Android, Blackberry and the iPhone, it’s hard to see exactly where Windows fits in right now.
Microsoft says the new phones are distinguished by integrated experiences built from Microsoft’s deep portfolio such as Xbox Live, Microsoft Office Mobile, Zune, Windows Live and Bing, which we take to mean that these phones will have access to Zune music, have Bing Search built-in and stupid Office apps (which are un-usable on a phone) and anyway you will no doubt get them free for 6 weeks and then have to pay extra for an upgrade to Office. Windows Live will offer a calendar, OneNote Mobile and the EA games announced for the OS include Need for Speed Undercover, Tetris (that old thing) and The Sims.
Phones out immediately are the HTC Surround, the Samsung Focus, the LG Quantum, the HTC HD7and the Dell Venue Pro in the U; the HTC 7 Surround and LG Optimus 7 in Canada; and the LG Optimus 7also in Mexico
In Europe there is the HTC HD7, the HTC 7 Mozart and HTC 7 Trophy, the Samsung OMNIA 7, the LG Optimus .7 There are no deal prices yet, but Microsoft has issued statements that some of the operators will have integrated billing with Microsoft for things like music and games.