# Microsoft to beat Google & Apple in smartphone war by 2015



## Kid_Eternity (May 11, 2011)

I guess if this pans out as predicted Microsoft paying off Nokia to take up its new mobile OS will have been worth the billion or so it cost them!









> The recent prediction by Pyramid Research that Windows Phone would become the dominant mobile OS in just four years surprised many industry watchers, several of whom argued with the forecast. In a new analyst note, the research firm explains its prognostication.
> 
> Pyramid's initial report asserted that by "2015, Windows Phone will establish itself as the leader in the smartphone OS space," thereby beating Android for the top spot. And the firm qualified that statement in its new note to reflect its belief that Microsoft's mobile OS will become the leader much sooner, as early as 2013.
> 
> With Android enjoying a huge lead among smartphone users, how can Pyramid point to Windows Phone as becoming the major player so quickly? As part of the answer, the research firm cites the new deal between Nokia and Microsoft.



Interesting game of gadget leapfrog the tech companies appear to be playing with each other, no sooner has Apple taken a huge market share, Google comes along and trounces it, as Google starts to take over, Microsoft is on the horizon itching to batter it into submission!

It's amusing to think that if this is true I might be once again owning a MS powered smartphone, exactly ten years after I swore I wouldn't own again!


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## pianissimo (May 11, 2011)

They're also buying Skype.  So big plan is ahead.


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## joustmaster (May 11, 2011)

i love that all the lines on that graph of predictions follow smooth lines, except MS, which shoots upwards.


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## Kid_Eternity (May 11, 2011)

pianissimo said:


> They're also buying Skype.  So big plan is ahead.


 
Indeed, and with the release of the next console, and the current consoles tech getting cheaper it's not inconceivable we might see a xbox mobile phone either at some point which plugs their smartphone operation very nicely into their gaming division (indeed with the new windows mobile there's some xbox live integration)...


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## Sunray (May 11, 2011)

This would imply that people are going to buy Microsoft phones.. Microsoft are quite literally miles behind Android and Apple and its not like these companies are standing still is it.  Did they install cut and paste on WP7 yet?


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## Kid_Eternity (May 11, 2011)

Sunray said:


> This would imply that people are going to buy Microsoft phones.. Microsoft are quite literally miles behind Android and Apple and its not like these companies are standing still is it.  Did they install cut and paste on WP7 yet?


 
People bought plenty of iPhones back when it didn't have cut and paste. People bought tons of Android phones back when they were ugly as shite.


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## Sunray (May 11, 2011)

Kid_Eternity said:


> People bought plenty of iPhones back when it didn't have cut and paste. People bought tons of Android phones back when they were ugly as shite.


 
Yes,  but that was all that was on offer.   Times have changed.


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## editor (May 12, 2011)

Sunray said:


> This would imply that people are going to buy Microsoft phones.. Microsoft are quite literally miles behind Android and Apple and its not like these companies are standing still is it.  Did they install cut and paste on WP7 yet?


They're miles behind in apps, but the new WP7 OS is actually very good indeed.


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## sumimasen (May 12, 2011)

All depends on apps, is all.


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## mitochondria (May 12, 2011)

It is not all about just apps, it's about useful/entertaining/efficient apps. There is much crap in both Apple and Android market. 

I think WP7 coupled with Nokia design can kick some ass. The apps would come along if you get developers onboard which shouldnt be too hard assuming WP7 scaleability is superior to both iOS and Android.

Now the last move from Google is very interesting, endorsing Arduino for Android dev. This will have impact on developers imo.


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## FridgeMagnet (May 12, 2011)

The more of these "analyst reports" I read, the more I realise how made up they are, and how rarely they get called on it because everybody's forgotten. But they get their names in the tech press for a bit which I suppose is the point.


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## editor (May 12, 2011)

FridgeMagnet said:


> The more of these "analyst reports" I read, the more I realise how made up they are, and how rarely they get called on it because everybody's forgotten. But they get their names in the tech press for a bit which I suppose is the point.


They usually come with a half mile long list of disclaimers at the bottom. But for the real made up stuff, you can't get any worse than the "Apple rumours" bullshit that slithers all over the web. I know why they do it though: post up a load of made up bollocks about a thoroughly unsubstantiated rumour, and your traffic goes right up.


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## Sunray (May 12, 2011)

editor said:


> They're miles behind in apps, but the new WP7 OS is actually very good indeed.



The OS is also miles behind.  Small things you take for granted on your phone, are missing.  DHCP is the only option for instance.  Want a static IP, its coming in some update in the future.


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## editor (May 12, 2011)

Sunray said:


> The OS is also miles behind.  Small things you take for granted on your phone, are missing.  DHCP is the only option for instance.  Want a static IP, its coming in some update in the future.


How many average consumers do you think are craving a static IP?


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## Crispy (May 12, 2011)

I didn't think it was even possible to get a static IP on a phone!

(why on earth would you need one anyway?)


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## kained&able (May 12, 2011)

Nokia will need a damn sexy marketing campaign to be as cool and desierible as the latest htc or especially the iphone.

Anyway haven't Nokias always run on windows mobile platforms. The last two Nokias i had certainly have!

dave


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## joustmaster (May 12, 2011)

Crispy said:


> I didn't think it was even possible to get a static IP on a phone!
> 
> (why on earth would you need one anyway?)


 wifi i guess


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## Kid_Eternity (May 12, 2011)

editor said:


> They're miles behind in apps, but the new WP7 OS is actually very good indeed.


 
People said the same about Android...which I think really is the point when it comes to things like this, times change (interestingly I see parallels with the console market) and market leaders in one period don't always end up on top in the next. Looking back over the last 10 or so years has any one time leader stayed on top throughout?


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## ovaltina (May 12, 2011)

Looking at the graph, it looks like they're expecting all of Nokia 's punters to switch to windows mobile once it starts running on nokia phones. Bit optimistic there!


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## mitochondria (May 12, 2011)

nokia should have made the move sooner and released n8 and e7 with WP7.

I have nothing against symbian and I really like my e72 - I will hold on to it until e8 arrives


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## Sunray (May 12, 2011)

editor said:


> How many average consumers do you think are craving a static IP?



This is just and example, there are lots of things like that and include the security, connectivity to Exchange etc etc.  They are going to have to put a load of effort in to get all these features and the ones that you take for granted into that OS in the mean time Google and Apple are already sitting on tons of features and are marching on apace.  While Symbian is pretty shit it does a lot of this stuff.

Will they catch up enough to make any impression is the one I'm curious about.


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## editor (May 12, 2011)

Sunray said:


> Will they catch up enough to make any impression is the one I'm curious about.


Have you ever had a play on a WM7 phone? They're pretty/shiny/swishy things and at the right price point, consumers tend to go for that kind of thing, lack of fixed IP addresses notwithstanding.


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## GarfieldLeChat (May 12, 2011)

editor said:


> They're miles behind in apps, but the new WP7 OS is actually very good indeed.


 
well til you dig underneath it and find it still crappy old windows CE again....


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## FridgeMagnet (May 12, 2011)

It's also quite crippled in terms of html5, which both Android and iOS are good at, and is IMO going to be increasingly significant as a medium for providing cross platform rich content for mobile.


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## magneze (May 12, 2011)

Didn't the first set of updates to WP7 break and in some cases brick the phones? Not good for consumer confidence.


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## editor (May 13, 2011)

Has anyone here actually used a WM7 phone? Just asking, like.


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## GarfieldLeChat (May 13, 2011)

editor said:


> Has anyone here actually used a WM7 phone? Just asking, like.


 used one, yes, lived with one no it's not a finished product yet and they have had years to finish it...


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## uk benzo (May 13, 2011)

GarfieldLeChat said:


> used one, yes, lived with one no it's not a finished product yet and they have had years to finish it...



This is unfortunately true. I was a MS smartphone user for yonks and held back from migrating to Android in the hope that MS would release a bug-free fully functional WP7. Alas, I am now an Android user.


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## editor (May 13, 2011)

I don't think WM7 is the fully polished article yet, but I can see how it might soon be. Most consumers only use smartphones for quite basic functions and WM7 phones do a pretty good job of those already. They're not for me because I need a lot more functionality though.


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## c01642 (May 13, 2011)

I've been testing a Andoid phone to replace the current batch of WM6.5 device within our company. I've had to change back to my HTC touch pro as the support for exchange in android is abysmal. My boss has got a nice Dell Venu Pro that he's more than happy with so the company will be buying them from now on. Microsoft are previewing their next update on the 24th.


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## ovaltina (May 13, 2011)

If they can knock out a decent nokia windows phone with a capacitive touch screen for £100, and there are enough free apps available, id be happy to switch when my android San Francisco dies. I'm not paying more though.


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## pianissimo (May 14, 2011)

editor said:


> Has anyone here actually used a WM7 phone? Just asking, like.


 
Yes I used one.  I didn't mind it.  
I appreciate it aggregates all my contacts and their status/photo updates into one place.
It has a pretty good looking typography-based interface too.


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## Sunray (May 16, 2011)

editor said:


> I don't think WM7 is the fully polished article yet, but I can see how it might soon be. Most consumers only use smartphones for quite basic functions and WM7 phones do a pretty good job of those already. They're not for me because I need a lot more functionality though.


 
I'm not sure that is true, why spend on a smart phone if all you need is a candy bar phone that costs 30 quid.


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