Apple and Android are the top two players in the Smartphone market right now, but have you given thought to Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7?
It certainly hasn’t caught on like others but it has a unique interface that will likely appeal to some of you out there. If you’ve never seen the Microsoft Windows Phone 7 interface then try this web-based Virtual Hands On and see what you think.
TechCrunch says “As most who’ve experienced the Windows Phone 7 platform will attest, Microsoft offers something truly unique in terms of OS design and on-screen interaction. Windows Phone 7 offers a superb user experience, indeed far superior to most if not all the Android smartphones.“
There are more WP7 apps, but that doesn’t mean the platform isn’t struggling on this front, too.
While Windows Phone Marketplace appears to be steadily growing and all of the ‘essential’ applications exist.
Microsoft seems to have made a good start and improvements will no doubt come quickly. That doesn’t necessarily mean customers will be lining up to buy Windows Phone handsets en masse, but they will grab more marketshare (and mindshare) in the future if Microsoft is willing to go the distance. If they want to compete in the mobile market space they have to commit to it.
Microsoft entered this market extremely late, and, there’s still more to be done on the apps store. Those are very big barriers to successful entry, but they can surely be overcome by a company the size of Microsoft.
Hopefully Microsoft manages to put enough time, money and effort into Windows Phone to turn it into a viable competitor to iOS and Android. A lot more great phones, ‘big and bold’ marketing, UI consistency, better apps and more time.
It’s still early, and industries can transform quite rapidly. It’s never a zero-sum game and no one knows what the future holds, but I can guarantee you the world will look be different – again – at the end of next year.
